


Obsession

by mercy_angel_09



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, F/M, Gen, Kidnapping, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-16
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2017-12-26 19:23:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/969378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercy_angel_09/pseuds/mercy_angel_09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an AU Canon Divergence starting in episode four. Instead of merely knocking Korra out and leaving her on Avatar Aang Memorial Island, Amon takes her as a prisoner of war. And then things start going wrong. On the brink of war, Korra’s friends, family, and allies must save her and keep Republic City from falling into chaos.</p>
<p>WARNING: This story goes in a much more mature direction than the show, and will contain non-con (rape), kidnapping, and abuse. It is meant to explore how obsession can up-end and ruin lives, how obsession does not equal love, and that traumatic events aren’t something that someone can just “get over.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Standing under the statue of Aang, Korra looked out at Republic City and wondered how her duel with Amon would actually go down. Sure, he could take bending, but he couldn’t be completely flawless in hand to hand to combat. He was only human.

Right?

Shaking the not quite ridiculous feeling from her head that she had bitten off way more than she could chew, Korra waited. Amon didn’t seem like the type to ignore a direct challenge. It probably wasn’t a matter of honor, it had to be a matter of pride. To blow her off, to blow the Avatar off, was not something his pride would let him do. Or so she told herself.

In the shadows she heard the soft rustling of clothing and she spun, heart pounding, taking a fighting stance so she could strike if necessary. Eyes darting over the statue’s pedestal, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was getting closer to midnight and Amon was due to arrive at any time. Her senses on high alert, Korra tried to determine if he had arrived or not. She needed a sign.

What she got was the chiming of the bell from the clock under her feet, startling her.

Recovering her balance and wincing in embarrassment, Korra looked around the top of the pedestal once more. “Well, I guess you’re a no show,” she murmured with smug satisfaction. Yet she couldn’t make herself leave. Settling into the lotus position, Korra waited for Amon to show up.

And she waited for another two hours after falling asleep. Startling awake when she nearly fell over, Korra yawned and stretched. “Yup, definitely a no show,” she muttered as she headed down towards the main level of the museum.

“What a waste,” Korra grumbled as she walked by the museum entrance. “At least have the common courtesy to leave a note or something.”

Fate, however, deemed that it was necessary that Korra learn about speaking too soon.

Bolas came flying out of the museum entrance, wrapping securely around Korra’s feet. The person on the other end gave a sharp tug, causing Korra to fall to the tile with a grunt of pain. She was pulled into the darkness of the museum, kicking her legs out and releasing a wave of fire that burned through the ropes of the bolas. In the dying light of the flames she could tell that she was surrounded by chi blockers – so much for Amon coming alone.

She lashed out at them, using her earth and firebending in an attempt to ward off the surge of bodies that had her surrounded, but the chi blockers were faster and outnumbered her, two gripping her arms while another pair blocked her chi.

Dropping to her knees she panted, held up only by the iron grips on her biceps. Looking up into the darkness she saw Amon step into the pool of light from the lanterns that the chi blockers carried, his mask gazing down at her, its expression frozen in indifference.

“I got your invitation, young Avatar,” he said, his voice low and ominous.

His hand inched towards her face and she instinctively turned away from him. Oh Spirits, she should have taken Tarrlok’s advice and allowed a few task force members to be nearby. She should have allowed Tarrlok to accompany her. She shouldn’t have been so stupid as to challenge Amon in the first place – as if he would have fought fair anyway.

Instead of sealing her bending, he simply gripped her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. She could make out pale irises in the depths of the eye holes of the mask, but the low light meant she couldn’t determine the color. “How peculiar, that you should summon me here. I didn’t think you were so eager to lose your bending.”

“I’m not,” she managed to get out through gritted teeth.

“Of course you’re not. Your bending is your identity. It would be a shame to lose everything you are so foolishly,” he agreed with a low chuckle that sent a shiver down Korra’s spine. “However, such folly should not go unpunished. You have all of the potential to be great, but what if you never reach that potential? Or what if that potential could be put to a greater use?”

Dread pooled in her stomach as she widened her eyes in fear. “Y-you wouldn’t…”

“I am capable of a great many things, and many great things,” he said, his tone soft yet ominous. “Remember, this is the result of your choices. You asked for this.”

He struck fast, two fingers jabbing into the pressure point at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Her vision blurred before it went black and she slumped to the floor in a heap.

“Tie her up. It won’t do for our guest to wake and try to use her bending to try and break free,” he commanded. The two chi blockers that had held her saluted before taking a length of rope from their compatriots to bind her. Amon disappeared back into the shadows, his lips twisted up in a smirk beneath his mask.

Back on the dock in Republic City, Tenzin paced while Tarrlok started out at Avatar Aang Memorial Island. “It’s been hours,” the airbender ranted. “She should have been back by now or at least seen signs of a fight!”

“Korra isn’t just another task force member,” Tarrlok reminded her guardian. “She can take care of herself.”

Spinning on his heel to glare at the other councilman, Tenzin barely managed to keep his temper in check. “She is a seventeen-year-old girl who isn’t a fully realized Avatar yet! She doesn’t have the Avatar state to rely on should she get in over her head! If something has happened to her, Tarrlok, I’m holding you personally responsible.”

“You worry too much,” Tarrlok snorted. “I’ve fought by her side, her skill is incomparable.”

“She’s still had her chi blocked before. It’s suicide for her to try and fight without her bending, she simply doesn’t know how!” Tenzin protested. “She is impulsive and arrogant, two things that will quickly get her in trouble with someone who has shown to be cool and in control at all times.”

“Would it make you feel better if we went out there?” Tarrlok asked, frowning at the way that Tenzin ranted like a concerned mother ptarmigan. “I’m sure she’s fine. She might be a little shaken, but I’m sure we’ll find her unharmed.”

“But if she’s not, Tarrlok, so help me I will make your life more miserable than it already is,” Tenzin answered darkly.

They climbed into the waiting boat, Tarrlok using his waterbending to propel it silently across Yue Bay towards the dock of Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Climbing out onto the dock, they paused long enough to try and listen for anything that sounded like voices talking or people fighting. Silence greeted them, and Tenzin turned to Tarrlok with an arch stare. The waterbender merely shrugged and headed up towards the museum. With a few hand signals, Tenzin indicated that they should split up and search the island for any sign of Korra or Amon.

Twenty minutes later they met up on the dock, neither having found a sign of Korra or Amon. “Did you look in the museum?” Tenzin asked, having searched the shore for any signs of foul play.

Tarrlok scowled. “Why would they limit themselves by fighting within the museum?”

With an irritated groan, Tenzin raced up to the museum. Inside he found the switch for the lights and allowed his eyes to adjust, taking stock of the scene before him. Of course there were the cases of avatar artifacts – Kyoshi’s fans, Roku’s headpiece, the glider that the Mechanist had made his father during the war – but the stone tiles had been raised up in a sharp ridge and there were scorch marks on the floor.

“By the Spirits, what happened here?” Tarrlok said as he walked in, not wanting to disturb the crime scene.

“It appears as though there was a fight,” came Tenzin’s sarcastic reply. “I told you it was a bad idea to let her do this!”

“So there was fight, and obviously she’s not here anymore,” Tarrlok said, his tone measured. He felt his blood run cold. “Oh Spirits he’s taken her.”

 “I told you this was a terrible idea!” Tenzin fumed. “Now Amon has Korra and who knows what he’ll do to her. I’m sure by now he’s already taken her bending, and I hope that’s all he’s done to her.”

Tarrlok felt a wave of dread wash over him. “You don’t honestly think that Amon would force himself on her, do you? That’s so…base.”

“I wish I could believe that he’ll simply take her bending and throw her in a prison cell, but we know nothing about him. We cannot predict what he’ll do to her now that he has her in his clutches.” Tenzin shook his head. “Of course I’m going to fear the worst has happened to her.”

“So what do we do now?” Tarrlok murmured.

“We start planning a rescue operation,” Tenzin answered, glaring as his fellow councilman. “But first you’re going to call her parents and tell them how you got their only child kidnapped by a madman who can take bending.”

“Me?” Tarrlok squawked. “Why me?”

“Because you were the one that forced her hand and made it so she had to join your task force. You’re the one who put her in a position to be kidnapped. The responsibility lies with you and you alone,” Tenzin snapped. “Therefore it only makes sense that you shall inform her parents of what has transpired here tonight. I certainly don’t want to be in your position – Tonraq’s brother is the chief of the Northern Water Tribe and I can’t imagine that when news reaches Chief Unalaq that he’ll be thrilled to learn that someone in his employ is responsible for his niece’s misfortune.”

Tarrlok let out a string of curses under his breath before rounding back on Tenzin. “That information would have been helpful to know before I urged Korra to join the task force.”

“The decision not to tell anyone about her relation to Chief Unalaq was made shortly after she was determined to be the Avatar,” Tenzin explained. “It was not my place to tell you.”

Letting out a strangled yell, Tarrlok stalked out of the museum and headed towards the emergency phone that had been set up in the caretaker’s office. The man had been excused from his duties when Korra had gone to the island for the duel, and was currently staying in a hotel, courtesy of the task force. He’d left his office unlocked, though, in case of an emergency.

After placing a few calls into the police, Tarrlok asked to be connected with the South Pole, and from there asked to be connected to Korra’s parents. At first it seemed as though they weren’t going to answer, but eventually a deep voice uttered a groggy hello.

“Ah, hello, this is Tarrlok, I’m the councilman from the Northern Water Tribe in Republic City,” he greeted, trying to keep his voice steady.

“I know who you are,” the man said with a yawn. “My brother has told me about you.”

“Ah, yes, I’m sure he has,” Tarrlok murmured. “Anyway, I’m calling you about your daughter.”

Tonraq was suddenly awake. “What happened?” His voice was eerily calm.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tarrlok continued. “Republic City has been facing a threat of militant non-benders out to destroy benders. Avatar Korra joined a task force I started to deal with them specifically. Tonight she challenged the leader of the organization to a duel, but Councilman Tenzin and I believe that he and his followers overpowered her and have taken her as a prisoner.”

“I see,” Tonraq said, his voice disturbingly void of emotion.

“I…ah…did try to talk her out of it, as did Councilman Tenzin, but she was determined to see this through,” Tarrlok continued, realizing that he was babbling. “She does take her duty as the Avatar quite seriously, after all…”

“I am aware of the fact that my daughter takes her responsibilities as Avatar seriously,” Tonraq interrupted. “I understand that there are certain risks involved with her position. Her mother and I aren’t completely unprepared for such an incident.”

“I…I see,” Tarrlok said. “We will keep you apprised of the situation, of course.”

“Of course you will,” Tonraq replied, “because Senna and I will be on the first ship to Republic City in the morning.”

“I understand. You should go directly to Air Temple Island, I’m sure Master Tenzin will get you caught up,” Tarrlok said, inclining his head at the airbender as he walked into the room. “I’m so sorry, and I’ll see you soon.”

With a heavy sigh, Tarrlok hung up the phone before leaning against the desk. “Her parents plan to be on the next ship to Republic City.”

“And you directed them to stay with me?”

“I figured it was better for everyone if they stayed with you,” Tarrlok said, his voice flat.

“Yes, I suppose that is the best course of action,” Tenzin agreed. Crossing his arms against his chest, he stared Tarrlok down. “And what is your next course of action?”

“I will do everything in my power to recover her. I promise you, we’ll get her back,” Tarrlok answered.

Tenzin gave him an arch stare. “And if we can’t?”

“I refuse to believe that we can’t recover her,” Tarrlok answered. “I’ll get her back or I’ll die trying.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra confronts her situation, while Tenzin heaps guilt on Tarrlok and the Fire Ferrets' season ends prematurely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would update once a month, but I spent all of October moving so chapter two was put on the back burner until I was settled. Now that I'm settled in, updates should be monthly unless life gets really super crazy. Which it shouldn't, at least for another year, anyway.

A series of images flashed before Korra’s eyes. It felt like it was something she should remember, names and faces she had interacted with in the past and were on the tip of her tongue but couldn’t quite recall. As she came back to consciousness, the memory faded and her vision came into focus, allowing Korra to take stock of her surroundings.

She was lying on a hard mattress in a dimly lit cell. Her body felt heavy and despite her vision clearing her head was still fuzzy. Amon must have had his minions drug her to keep her from trying to use her bending to escape. Not that she could – the cell was metal and the food tray on the floor was nothing but wood. The amount of tea she had been given was only enough to get her mouth wet. It would be foolish to try and use it for bending rather than to keep herself hydrated.

With a groan she managed to sit upright. There were no windows in her cell, no way for her to tell what time it was or where she was being held. The scratchy wool of the blanket warded off some of the chill, but Korra realized that she was essentially sitting in a cooler. No doubt they were going to keep her cold to keep her sluggish and unresponsive.

This was not a situation she ever dreamed of being in.

“I see you’re awake.”

Amon stood on the other side of the bars, hands clasped behind his back and his feet a shoulder’s width apart. He was observing her with casual interest, as if she were just another recruit he needed to place within his organization and wouldn’t spare her another thought when he finished.

“What…what have you done?” she managed to ask, grimacing at the way her words slurred together.

“Only what has needed to be done,” he said. “Your chi has been blocked and will be continually blocked so long as you are my…guest.”

“My body…it feels…weird.”

“Oh yes, that,” he answered. “At the moment you are sedated.” She glared at him, causing him to chuckle. “Now, now, Avatar, I can’t have you trying to attack my people and risking injury to them or yourself. It’s for your own good.”

“You…monster,” she spat. She lunged at the bars, but her body gave out and she collapsed on the floor. Lifting her head, she managed to glare at him again.

“Oh my dear girl,” Amon said as he opened the door to her cell and strode in without a care. He squatted next to her. “I am no more a monster than the benders who oppress me and my followers daily. You’ll come to realize that eventually.”

“W-what do you have planned for me?” she whispered as he picked her up with ease and placed her back on the bed.

“I want you to have a front row seat to the Revolution,” he answered, the mouth of the mask right next to her ear. “I want you by my side, watching, as Republic City falls to the Equalists, while you are powerless to stop it.”

She wanted to strike out at him so she did, disappointed when he easily caught her first and twisted it away from his face, causing her to yelp in pain.

Amon tsked. “Come now, Avatar, is that any way to treat your host?”

“You’re not…my host,” she said, glaring at him. “You’re my captor. My…jailer.”

“For now,” he agreed as he dropped her hand. “However, should you be more inclined to be agreeable, I might be persuaded to treat you more favorably.”

“Never,” she growled.

“Fine, have it your way,” he shrugged as he stood. “Don’t worry, Avatar, we’re not going to hurt you. You’ll be fed, allowed to bathe, dressed in clean clothing – really you’ll be treated with respect.”

“Except you…plan on taking my…bending.”

As he locked Korra’s cell, he shook his head. “That would be foolish on my part. If I took your bending now, you’d become a martyr. Benders of every nation would rally around your untimely demise. Oh no, it is far better you keep you locked in this cell with your bending intact.”

“So long as I’m alive…I’ll find a way to fight,” she panted as she dragged herself across her cell, hanging onto the bars for support.

“I’m sure you will, Avatar. It’s not in your nature to give up, is it?” He allowed himself a dark chuckle. “I do look forward to our next encounter.”

He walked away from the cell, leaving Korra alone. The only light came from the bare bulb that hung in the hallway, bathing her cell in an unnatural yellow glow. When she could no longer hear his retreating footsteps, she shuffled back to the bed and curled up on it, determined not to cry. She wasn’t beaten yet, she refused to believe that it was all over.

While Korra wallowed in her misery, Tenzin approached the Pro-Bending Arena where Tarrlok was waiting for him.

“Would you mind telling me what we’re doing here at such an ungodly hour?” Tarrlok groused as Tenzin walked up the steps to the main entrance.

“You get to inform Korra’s teammates that she’s been captured and that they’re out of the Pro-Bending tournament,” Tenzin replied as he opened the door and motioned for Tarrlok to go through.

“You can’t be serious!” Tarrlok scoffed. “Why can’t you tell them? You’re her guardian!”

“And you’re the one who got her abducted,” Tenzin reminded him. “Again, the responsibility lies with you. But first we need to stop off in Butakha’s office. As the head of the Pro-Bending league, he has a right to know what’s happened to Korra as well.”

Tarrlok grumbled under his breath as he followed Tenzin through the maze of hallways to an office that was labeled “General Manager.” Tenzin knocked twice and then opened the door, greeting the man within.

“Councilmen, what can I do for you today?” Butakha asked, leaning forward in his chair, elbows on his desk and his fingers tented.

“We have some news that might be relevant to your interests,” Tenzin said. “But this also involves the Fire Ferrets, so I’d like you to come with us to the training gym.”

Butakha shrugged. “All right, I’ll bite. It must be a big deal if two city councilmen are here. Though why does it just involve the Fire Ferrets?”

“We’ll explain in due time,” Tenzin said as he exited the office, Tarrlok and Butakha on his heels. Despite not having spent much time around the Pro-Bending Arena, he already knew how to find the training gym.

Cheerful jazz music came from the radio as Mako and Bolin tossed a weighted ball back and forth. “Where is she?” Mako was muttering. “I know she’s been busy with task force stuff but she joined our team first!”

“Uh…we’ve got company,” Bolin said, dropping the ball.

Turning around, Mako noted that the head of the Pro-Bending league was with two city councilmen. Oh wonderful. What now?

“Good morning, boys,” Tenzin greeted. “I’m sorry to interrupt your practice, but I have some news.”

“Is it about Korra?” Bolin asked, his green eyes wide. “Something happened last night, didn’t it?”

“Councilman Tarrlok, perhaps you’d like to explain?” Tenzin said, motioning for the other man to step forward and take responsibility.

Clearing his throat, Tarrlok looked at Mako, Bolin, and Butakha in turn. “As you may have known, Korra challenged Amon to a duel last night. However, things didn’t go as planned. To the best of our knowledge, Amon has taken her as his prisoner. We don’t know what he plans to do with her now that he has her, but I want you to know that we’re going to do everything in our power to recover her.”

“What?!” Mako exploded, short burst of flame shooting from his fists. “How could you let her be taken?!”

“It was never our intent that she would be taken,” Tarrlok answered, a slight edge to his voice. “Despite Tenzin and I’s best efforts, she still insisted on going to that duel. I had no idea that Amon would be this bold so early in the game.”

“This isn’t a game!” Mako yelled. “This is Korra’s life! I knew it was a bad idea for her to join that stupid task force! She was better off not getting involved!”

“Mako, please calm down,” Tenzin said, keeping his voice low and gentle. “We understand that it’s upsetting but you losing your temper isn’t going to help Korra at all.”

“So…does this mean we’re out of the tournament?” Bolin asked in a small voice. “We don’t have the time to find a new waterbender.”

“I’m afraid that it appears that way,” Tenzin replied.

“Should we shut down Pro-Bending then?” Butahka asked. “If Amon’s taken the Avatar, there’s no telling what he’ll do, and despite what others might think, I’m no fool. The Pro-Bending Arena is the perfect target for Amon and his terrorists.”

“It might be for the best,” Tarrlok sighed.

“So where does that leave us?” Mako demanded. “Without Pro-Bending there’s no way I can keep up the rent on our apartment.”

“Sorry, Mako,” Butakha shrugged. “You’re a good kid, but it’s not my problem. You’ll have to find other arrangements. As it is I’ll have to cut staff due to ending it for the foreseeable future.”

“It will be all right, Mako,” Tenzin soothed. “You and your brother can stay on Air Temple Island. We have plenty of room in the dormitory, and you can take your meals with me and my family. It’s what Korra would want.”

“But-“

“No buts,” Tenzin replied. “You’ll be expected to help out around the island, of course, but I’m sure we can find uses for a fire and earthbender. Besides, I’m sure you’ll want to be involved with Korra’s rescue. I see no point in trying to keep you out of something you’ll obviously get involved with, so by staying with me, I can keep you in the loop and hopefully prevent any further mishaps.”

“Well, I need to go make some phone calls and write a few letters,” Butakha said. “Thanks for letting me know what happened.”

Leaving the two councilmen alone with the boys, Butakha headed back to his office for the difficult task of laying off staff members for an indefinite amount of time – something he was loath to do.

“So now what?” Bolin asked.

“I think you should go pack your belongings. You’ll move to Air Temple Island today,” Tenzin informed them. “I’ll wait for you out front.”

Disheartened, the boys shuffled out of the training gym and towards their apartment. Shaking his head, Tenzin turned towards the main entrance, Tarrlok following as he knew there was no way he’d ever get out the maze of back hallways on his own.

“I didn’t know…I never thought…”

“And therein lies the problem,” Tenzin sighed. “You only thought of yourself, as usual, not caring if someone got hurt in the process. Perhaps if it were one of the other members of the task force it wouldn’t be such a big deal, they’re adults and knew what they were getting into.” Fixing Tarrlok with a stare over his shoulder, Tenzin walked into the lobby. “But Korra is a seventeen year old girl who is well aware of her title and the responsibilities it entails and you used that to your advantage. You used guilt to get her on to your task force when bribery didn’t work, never mind that she was in no way ready for such a monumental task.”

“Tenzin, I don’t appreciate the guilt you keep heaping on to me-“

“No I don’t imagine you do,” Tenzin snapped back. “Now try to think about how Korra felt when she was cornered by those reporters and made to feel inadequate in her role as the Avatar, simply to suit your selfish wants.” Tarrlok’s mouth snapped shut and he glanced away. “That’s what I thought. You _used_ her and now she’s in Amon’s clutches. You should feel guilty.”

Once outside, Tarrlok checked his pocket watch and let out an impatient huff. “I need to get back to City Hall. Chief Bei Fong wishes to speak with me.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Tenzin mused, stroking his beard.

“Please refrain from further bouts of sarcasm, Tenzin. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I will make no such promises,” Tenzin replied.

Tarrlok grumbled as he started the long walk back to his satomobile, leaving Tenzin standing next to Oogi. “I hope you don’t mind a little extra weight on the ride home,” he said, reaching up to pet the air bison’s muzzle. Oogi grunted in response.

“Oh, Councilman Tenzin, what brings you here?”

Turning to find Asami Sato standing nearby Tenzin released a slow breath. “I’m afraid that something’s come up.”

“Is Korra okay?” Asami asked with a frown.

“No, she is not okay,” Mako fumed as he exited the Pro-Bending Arena. “Amon’s taken her.”

“What?!” Asami gasped. “How?!”

“Remember, Korra challenged him to a duel last night on Avatar Aang Memorial Island,” Bolin said dully. “He must have overpowered her and taken her.”

“But she’s the Avatar,” Asami sputtered. “Things like that aren’t supposed to happen!”

“Miss Sato, I understand that you’re upset, but please try to keep this knowledge to yourself,” Tenzin said. “The last thing we need is the city in a panic should they learn that Amon’s captured her.”

“Of course, I won’t say a thing, even to my father,” Asami promised. “So…what’s going on?”

“Since Korra’s been captured, it’s been decided that Pro-Bending will be shut down indefinitely,” Tenzin answered. “This is for the safety of all pro-benders and the spectators. Since Mako and Bolin can no longer stay here at the arena, I’ve invited them to stay at Air Temple Island.”

“Or they could come stay with me,” Asami offered.

“That’s very kind of you to offer,” Tenzin said, “but wouldn’t you need to get your father’s approval first?”

Asami blushed. “Well…”

“I thought as much,” Tenzin said with a nod. “Come along boys, we’ll get you settled in in no time.”

“I don’t want to get settled, I want to find Korra!” Mako shouted, causing Bolin to wince.

Tenzin regarded the emotional firebender, trying to determine the best course of action. Bolin edged towards Oogi, avoiding looking at his brother. “Mako, walk with me.”

Mako opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when he realized that Tenzin wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He followed the airbender towards the gazebo off to the side of the Pro-Bending Arena, stopping only when Tenzin did. “Well, what do you want?” he snapped.

“Korra told me how your parents died when you were young,” Tenzin started. “That you’ve been responsible for yourself and your brother for quite some time now.”

“Ten years. So?”

“That’s a lot of responsibility for someone so young to take on. You couldn’t just be Bolin’s brother anymore; you had to be his mother and his father. For a boy of eight, that’s a monumental responsibility,” Tenzin said, his voice soft. “As a result, I believe that you feel a need to take care of those you care about, whether or not they need you to. As the Avatar, Korra is usually more than capable of taking care of herself. However we’ve always known that Amon wouldn’t fight fair, and we have reason to believe that he showed up with reinforcements to their duel last night. Anyone who had gone with her would have most likely been captured as well. We are of more use to Korra here than we are foolishly rushing in a situation we hardly understand.”

Hands fisting at his sides, Mako blinked back tears. “Why is it that everyone I care about gets hurt?” he asked, voice cracking. “Why am I always so helpless to protect the ones I love?”

“Ah, I see,” Tenzin murmured. “You view Korra as family now that she’s part of your team.”

“It’s more complicated.”

“Oh.” Tenzin regarded the boy carefully. “You have feelings for her, then.”

“Bo really likes her, and she’s unlike any girl we’ve ever met before,” Mako explained as he clenched and unclenched his hands. “We’ve had the usual fangirls who latch on to us for fame or popularity, but don’t want anything to do with us once they realize that we have nothing. Korra didn’t care, she just saw our bending and thought we were great. She wanted to be our friend. Even though she’s the Avatar, she’s the first normal girl that Bolin’s ever liked. I liked her too, but it was obvious that Bo wanted to be with her so I decided that I’d make sure that he got what he wanted.”

“Mako, I understand the sentiment, but you’re not doing your brother any favors by coddling him like that,” Tenzin said as he placed his hand on the firebender’s shoulder. “You feel like you have to give Bolin everything he wants because you were unable to in the past, because he grew up without parents, but Bolin will never learn to stand on his own two feet if you’re always there to pick him up when he falls.”

“But I-“

“I am a parent, Mako. I understand better than you realize,” Tenzin continued. “But children need to learn and grow, and they can’t do that with their parents hovering over their shoulder, ready to save the day should something go wrong. I know you have nothing but the best intentions, but you need to start letting go. Bolin is a young man now, he needs to understand how to function in the world and he’ll never be able to do that with you constantly hovering nearby.”

“It’s been the two of us for so long, I don’t know if I know how,” Mako confessed, blinking back tears.

Without thinking Tenzin grabbed Mako by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. The firebender crumpled against him, sobs wracking his body. “You don’t have to do it right away. Just start easing up, allow Bolin to make, and learn from, his mistakes. It’s important for you to know that you don’t have to do this alone. I’ll be there to help, all you have to do is ask.”

 Mako continued to cry into Tenzin’s shoulder. He had been the adult for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to be a child, to have someone else shoulder the burden of responsibility. At Air Temple Island he wouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal would come from or how he’d pay the bills. He and Bolin could live like normal kids, which was at least one burden off of his shoulders.

As his crying quieted, Tenzin gently patted Mako’s back before pulling away. “Do you feel better now?”

Sniffling, Mako nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Good. I’m sure your brother and Miss Sato are wondering what’s taking us so long.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An escape attempt goes amiss, and Amon is not someone to be taken lightly.

Time passed in a haze for Korra. She had a general idea of time flowing; her meals were brought at regular enough intervals that she could determine which one was which. All of them were the same, consisting of plain rice, fish, some kind of vegetable, and a cup of tea. The food was bland, but nourishing so in that regard she was being treated well, never mind that she was certain she hadn’t had a bath in a week.

Her hair and skin were greasy, and her clothing was starting to smell musty. This wasn’t helped by the fact that she was being kept in a dank cell only Spirits knew where with nothing more than some dirty linens and scratchy blanket. With a soft sigh Korra tried to settle herself on the stiff mattress but it didn’t matter what she did, she couldn’t get comfortable.

The only people she’d seen were the usual chi blockers, waking her every couple of hours to block her chi, even if she was sleeping. Trays were slid through a hatch by the floor, usually without a word. If she was dozing sometimes they’d bark something at her to wake her, but otherwise she’d gone almost a week without talking to anyone.

Sitting in her cell on what she assumed to be her seventh day of her imprisonment, Korra was reciting the rules of Pro-Bending in order to keep herself from succumbing to boredom. This was after she had recited the various airbending mantras, recalled every form for waterbending, waxed poetic on the finer points of firebending, and done her best imitations of Chief BeiFong lecturing her for doing her duties as the Avatar.

She had now exhausted all of the ways she could think of entertaining her mind, and was stuck on an uncomfortable mattress, trying to meditate.

The echo of voices from down the hall interrupted Korra’s thoughts. Cracking an eye, she could see shadows moving down the hallway, so she decided she’d feign sleep and hopefully she’d overhear something. The guards didn’t seem to care much what they said in front of her if they thought she was asleep. Once she was free, she’d use that knowledge she gained to help stop Amon and the Equalists once and for all.

“Why haven’t you sealed her bending?” a familiar voice asked. It wasn’t the low, gravely tones of the Lieutenant, but someone Korra had met before.

“Doing so would only make her a martyr, Hiroshi. The entire world would rally behind their fallen Avatar and frankly that is not a problem we need right now,” Amon replied.

Hiroshi?

“I suppose you’re right. My tools keep us ahead of that idiotic police force easily enough, but I would be hard pressed to keep ahead of the entire world,” Hiroshi responded. Korra felt her blood run cold as she recognized the source of the voice. Hiroshi Sato was an Equalist sympathizer. Did that mean that Asami was, too? Was Asami just dating Mako to get close to her, to find out how to best take her down?

She heard their footsteps approaching and she settled herself again, facing the wall, the blanket resting along her bottom half. Slowing her breathing and keeping it as even as possible, she waited for them to stop in front of her cell.

“She’s asleep?” the Lieutenant asked.

“This cell is kept colder to keep her sluggish,” Amon answered. “Her chi is blocked every few hours so it’s no wonder she spends most of her time sleeping. She has nothing better to do.”

“I do hope that you realize that the money I’ve invested in appearing to be supportive of bending has gone completely to waste now that you’ve kidnapped the team’s waterbender,” Hiroshi pointed out.

“Please, I did not kidnap her,” Amon replied in irritation. “Kidnapping implies that I will use her as collateral for something, demand her life in exchange for something or that I have some sort of emotional attachment to her. She is a prisoner of war, plain and simple. We will hold her to keep her out of our way.”

“Fair enough,” Hiroshi conceded. “I suppose that’s why you haven’t made an announcement to the city yet.”

“And watch those pathetic creatures scramble in vain to recuse their Avatar?” Amon scoffed. “As entertaining as that could be, I think the city should continue to go about its business as if nothing were wrong.”

The Lieutenant chuckled. “As far as they’re concerned, nothing is wrong.”

“When we go to make our final move, then the city will realize that something is amiss,” Amon agreed. “Lieutenant, please take Hiroshi up to the office and serve him some refreshments. I need to block the Avatar’s chi again.”

Korra could hear two sets of feet walk away, and she strained to hear what Amon’s next move would be. For the time being he seemed content to just observe her from the other side of the bars of her cell. Shifting her weight and letting out a quiet sigh, Korra rather hoped he’d just leave and forget about blocking her chi, though that was unlikely. No doubt he feared that she’d use her firebending to melt the bars of her cell and escape. And quite possibly burn herself severely in the process.

“You know it’s quite rude to eavesdrop, Avatar.”

With a groan she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not even going to ask how you knew I wasn’t asleep.”

“No one but me would have known it,” Amon answered as he pulled the cell keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. “Stand up.”

“No.”

“Honestly, Avatar, this could be so much more pleasant for you if you’d cooperate.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

He let out a thoughtful hum as he considered her words. Certainly if he were being held as a prisoner of war he would be disinclined to cooperate with his captors. “Fair enough,” he conceded, “but I’m going to block your chi anyway.”

With a suffering sigh she stood up and held her arms out. “Yeah, I know.”

He struck her chi points with rapid precision, and when he finished Korra managed to slump back in the direction of the bed.

“Dare I say I’m starting to get used to that?” she quipped.

Amon snorted as he exited the cell. “I’d say not to get used to it, but for as long as I plan on keeping you here, I feel you have no choice.” He paused, looking over his shoulder but Korra couldn’t figure out why. “I find your body odor offensive.”

“Well gee, I haven’t had a bath in what? A week?” Korra retorted. “Of course my body odor is going to be offensive.”

He grunted, considering her words as he locked the door. “Fine, I’ll have this dealt with.”

“How kind of you,” she answered with faux sweetness. He said nothing as he continued down the corridor, leaving Korra with her thoughts once more. She hoped for a bucket of water and a rag, and given Amon’s sense of, well, she wouldn’t call it a sense of humor per se but as close he got to one, the water would most likely be freezing. However beggars couldn’t be choosers, and she would have to accept what she got. Even if the chi blockers were just as likely to toss the water on her as give it to her in a bucket.

Settling herself back on the mattress to wait whatever solution Amon had to her odor problems, Korra started to count the rivets on the ceiling. She had gotten to 1,515 when she heard footsteps in the corridor again, so she turned and stared bars, wondering what her fate would be.

Two chi blockers appeared and she pouted. No bucket of water? No soap? No towel?

“Amon blocked my chi like, half an hour ago,” Korra said with a bored sigh as she flopped back down on the mattress. “You can go.”

“We’re here to take you to bathe,” one of them responded in irritation.

“Uh…that sounds incredibly awkward,” Korra pointed out. “Does that mean that you two are going to watch me bathe, because that’s pervy on levels I didn’t know Amon even had.”

“Shut your mouth,” the other chi blocker barked. She unlocked the cell and motioned for Korra to exit.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to leave her cell, Korra did as she was instructed with no comment. Now that she could see where she was being held, she noted that it was most likely underground and heavily fortified. They passed by dozens of other cells but all of them were empty. Strategically speaking it was best to keep her isolated from other prisoners, lest her presence give them hope for escaping, and because she was starting to go a bit stir crazy with no one to talk to.

Korra formulated a plan as she walked, considering her options. They hadn’t bound her hands after they had removed her from her cell, nor had they felt it necessary to cover her head. If she body slammed one of the chi blockers into the bars hard enough, she could probably knock one out cold for a short while, and the other one could be taken down with a low sweep kick to knock their feet out from under them. Then she’d be home free to get out, granted she could make her way through the labyrinth of tunnels that she was surely being held in.

Noting that they were quickly approaching a cross path, Korra decided that it was now or never. She jerked to her left, slamming the chi blocker on that side against the bars of an empty cell, relieved when they let out a small cry of pain and then slumped to the ground unconscious. The other one was quickly taken care of when Korra dropped down and swept her leg out, kicking the chi blocker’s legs out from under them. They toppled backwards, gasping for air as the wind was knocked from their lungs and their head hit the metal flooring with an echoing thud.

“It’s been fun, but I really need to go,” Korra said as she dashed off, turning right at random. She’d have to get out of there eventually, she just needed to keep her spirits up. It would still be another few hours before her bending was back, but she could fight well enough without her bending that so long as she didn’t run into an entire room full of chi blockers, she’d be fine. Master Katara had always lamented Korra’s inability to fight without her bending, but she hadn’t pressed the issue, deciding that if Korra wanted to learn to fight with weapons other than her bending, all she had to do was ask.

Racing blindly through the corridors, Korra lamented that she didn’t have her earthbending, if only so it could help her get out. She’d been lucky so far, she hadn’t run into any other chi blockers, but there was a niggling feeling in the back of her mind that her good luck wouldn’t hold out. If there was one thing that she’d learned since coming to Republic City was that even though she was the Avatar, things weren’t automatically going to go her way.

“Come on,” she muttered as she turned down a different corridor. “It’s gotta be somewhere around here…”

She dashed past a room where several Equalists had gathered for a break. A few noticed her, raising the alarm. Swearing under her breath she ran faster, ducking down the first corridor she came across and then the next in hopes of losing her captors. After a few harrowing minutes Korra figured she had lost them, and breathed a sigh of relief.

But it was a moment too soon.

Looking over her shoulder to make sure that she had lost the Equalists who had been chasing her, she wound up slamming into something solid.

Or rather someone solid.

With a groan Korra looked up to see what had stopped her escape and found herself staring down Amon.

Oh wonderful.

“Well, this is a surprise, I thought you’d be bathing,” he said without an ounce of surprise in his voice.

“What can I say, I’m opportunistic,” Korra shrugged as she rubbed the hip she landed on.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Amon noted as he watched her stand. Once she was on her feet he gripped her bicep and yanked her down the corridor. “I am disappointed that you didn’t think more of our hospitality.”

“Well, what can I say? I don’t like scratchy sheets and hard, lumpy mattresses, let alone drafty rooms; the food it kind of bland, so I can’t say I’d recommend the establishment to my friends,” she snarked.

“I don’t think that your opinion really matters,” he answered, nodding at the pursuing chi blockers who jumped out of his way when they saw him coming with the Avatar in tow.

“Fair enough,” she agreed.

“I suppose I’ll have to come up with another solution to your body odor problem,” he informed her.

“Hey, this isn’t the way back to my cell…I don’t think.”

“Correct. This is the way to the locker rooms.”

“Locker rooms?” she squeaked out.

“Where you were being escorted to until you decided to make a break for it,” he explained. “I was going to grant you the luxury of a private shower, but I think you’ve lost that privilege.”

Korra’s gut tightened. Oh spirits, what was he planning now? Would he strip her down and wash her himself? The thought made her skin crawl.

There were a few men in the locker room, oh spirits they were in the men’s locker room, who watched with interest as their superior marched her back towards the showers. He turned on the water, not bothering to wait until it warmed up before he shoved her under the spray. She shrieked as the icy water hit her, and she glared up at Amon with murderous intent.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snarled.

“I should ask you the same,” he replied coolly. “After all, you tried to escape. Remember, I had been planning on giving you the luxury of a somewhat private shower. However, you made an error when you decided to make a break for it. I had thought I would treat you like a guest, but if you want to be a prisoner of war, then by all means, you can be treated like a prisoner of war.”

She continued to glare at him. He reached for a bar of soap and threw it at her. She fumbled it, dropping it on the tiled floor. “You can’t be serious.”

“Strip down, Avatar, you can’t take a shower with your clothes on,” Amon reminded her.

“You really think I’m gonna take my clothes off with you and your creepers leering at me?”

“Do you really think you have a choice?”

Several of the Equalists chuckled and one even let out a wolf whistle. Korra’s cheeks flamed as she realized that Amon was right. She could wash her arms and that was about it. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could just strip down to her bindings and call it good.

“C’mon Avatar, take it off!” one of the Equalists cat-called.

Rolling her eyes, she turned her back to them and peeled off her clothing, stripping down to her bindings. She began washing her arms, ignoring the cracks to take her bindings off and that she wasn’t being very sporting by not stripping all the way down. When she felt sufficiently clean, she turned the water off and once again glared at Amon.

He held out a towel, but made no move to give it to her. With a frustrated growl she marched herself across the slick, tile floor, slipping when she stepped in front of him. The only thing that kept her from falling was Amon’s firm grip on her elbows, the mask as unreadable as ever. Once she righted herself, she pulled herself free and then yanked the towel from him, using it to dry herself off. Her bindings and hair were still damp, but without her bending she’d never get them completely dry in an expedient manner.

“Okay, I’m clean, I’m dry-ish,” she said, crossing her arms against her chest and giving him a defiant glare. “Now what?”

“Now you go back to your cell.”

“I’m half-naked!” she protested.

He nodded. “Yes, you are. Perhaps you are smarter than I gave you credit for, keeping your bindings on. Otherwise you’d be marched back to your cell in the nude.”

Korra let out a strangled scream of frustration. She wanted to lunge at Amon and punch his face in, pull that stupid mask off and beat him with it. Hadn’t he humiliated her enough already?!

She went to brush past him, but his hand darted out and closed around her bicep. She gave him yet another murderous glare, but he showed no signs of caring. She supposed it was just as well – he wouldn’t be the enemy if he suddenly cared about her.

The cold air of the hallway caused her to shiver the entire walk back to her cell, and she tried to pull the towel closer around her to fend off the chill. She hoped that there would be fresh clothing waiting in the cell, but given how mad Amon was with her, she didn’t think it was likely.

When they arrived at her cell, she watched him pull the keys from his pocket and unlock the door. After he swung the door open, Amon shoved her into the cell, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Well, this has been the most enlightening of experiences,” Korra grumbled.

“You made your choice,” Amon replied, “I simply made sure you stuck with it.”

“So are you going to let me freeze to death?”

He regarded her with careful consideration. “I suppose you’ll be more trouble than I want to deal with should you fall ill. I’ll have someone bring you dry clothing.”

Without another word he walked off, leaving Korra shivering in her cell.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin starts to face specters from her past as Tenzin calls in the Old Guard for help and advice.

Lin stood on the dock to Air Temple Island, looking up at the stone steps in trepidation. The last time she’d been here in any serious capacity was during the memorial service for Avatar Aang. Even though her relationship with Tenzin had ended after Aang’s death, she’d never made the time to return to the island – and she refused to count The Incident. She always expected Tenzin to come into the city to see her.

Maybe that was why their relationship failed. Lin had been all about take, never asking what Tenzin wanted. Or maybe Tenzin had told her exactly what he wanted and she hadn’t bothered to listen. Maybe he had told her about his dreams to settle down and have a family. Maybe he had told her that he wasn’t getting any younger, that she wasn’t getting any younger. Maybe she had blown her chance when she refused to listen.

“Chief Bei Fong?”

Pulled out of her thoughts, Lin looked over her shoulder to find Councilman Tenzin standing behind her, having just arrived. “Councilman,” she greeted, glad that there wasn’t a tremor in her voice.

“Shall we go in?” Tarrlok said, gesturing towards the steps.

“Oh, yes, of course,” Lin said, embarrassed that she had been found staring at the steps like they were some sort of unconquerable foe. She headed up towards the private house for the family, her feet carrying her without thinking about it. How many afternoons had she spent on the island as a child, accompanying her mother as she conducted business with the Avatar? How many games of tag and hide-and-explode had she played with the others growing up? She couldn’t honestly remember.

Tenzin was sitting at the table, a few papers spread out in front of him. His brow was creased in concentration as he scanned the documents, as if they held the secret to recovering Korra safely.

“Tenzin,” Lin greeted, her voice gruff to hide the emotion in it.

His head snapped up and the crease eased. “Lin, Tarrlok, take a seat.”

Lin and Tarrlok did as instructed, giving Tenzin an inquisitive glance. “Are we going to start this meeting?” Tarrlok asked, eyeing his coworker.

“We just have to wait for the last people to arrive,” Tenzin assured them. “And Pema will have tea ready shortly.”

Lin was rather proud of herself for managing to contain her disgust at the mention of the younger woman. She knew that she shouldn’t blame the air acolyte, she had been willing to give Tenzin the family he wanted, the family he needed. But it still hurt to think that he had just moved on while she was focusing on her career.

“Who are we waiting on?” Tarrlok asked with a frown. As far as he knew, this was a matter that only concerned a few people, and the important ones had already arrived.

“Sorry we’re late,” Bolin said as he and Mako entered the room. “You’d think after a week all the hallways wouldn’t confuse us anymore.”

“It’s all right,” Tenzin answered gently. “You’re still adjusting, it’s to be expected.” Clearing his throat, he looked at Lin and Tarrlok and then nodded. “Now that we’re all here, we can begin the meeting.”

“Tenzin, normally I’d humor one of your little…quirks…but these boys are just children. Do you honestly expect me to allow them to help us?” Tarrlok said, eyeing the boys critically.

“Tarrlok, you know as well as I do that they are Korra’s friends, and I doubt that they would just sit by and do nothing. They’d probably start their own search for her. I figure we can avoid a lot of unnecessary hassle if we include them,” Tenzin explained.

“Tenzin, these boys are pro-benders. They don’t know the first thing about combat bending,” Lin huffed.

“I realize that, Lin,” Tenzin said. He opened his mouth to continue, but Pema walked in with a tea tray.

“Please let me know if you need anything else,” she said, a forced smile on her face. “Chief Bei Fong, Councilman Tarrlok, boys.”

“Pema,” they murmured in response.

She set the tea tray down and excused herself, allowing Tenzin to continue with his speech. “As I was saying, I realize that the boys don’t have any formal combat training. I want to change that.”

“You can’t be serious,” Tarrlok scoffed. “And who would train them?”

“Bolin is an earthbender. He has quite a bit of natural talent, it just needs to be refined. He’s a hard worker, loyal and honest and-“

“Cut the crap, Tenzin,” Lin barked. “You want me to teach him, don’t you?”

“You’re one of the finest earthbenders in the world, Lin. He could learn a lot from you. And it’s about time that someone else learned the Bei Fong style of earthbending.”

That was certainly true. Lin did general instructing, not like her mother had. Even the metalbenders were picking up their skills from their natural talent alone. Without a child, Lin didn’t have anyone to pass the method along to in order to carry on the legacy. She wasn’t sure Bolin was that person, though, as she studied the bulky, pug nosed boy who was staring at her like she was some kind of celebrity. It was faintly unnerving.

“I suppose I could train him like one of my police recruits,” she grudgingly conceded.

“Excellent.” Tenzin was beaming. Lin hated it when Tenzin beamed like that.

“So, who’s going to train the firebender?” Tarrlok asked, staring down Mako. He had to give the boy credit, he stared back with equal ferocity.

“I’ve already called in a favor, shall we say. As it stands, I’ve already alerted two of the Grand Lotuses of Korra’s disappearance, and they’ll arrive within the week.”

“Tenzin, I really wish you hadn’t done that,” Tarrlok growled through gritted teeth. “If the Equalists, if Amon, thinks that we’re going to launch a full on rescue attempt by summoning Grand Lotuses, he might do something to harm the Avatar. Amon isn’t stupid, I’m sure he’s got her chi blocked to keep her from fighting back.”

“I have considered that,” Tenzin answered, leveling a stare on the Northern Water Tribe representative. “That’s why we established a secret code decades ago. To anyone who might have intercepted the missive, it just sounds like a simple family inquiry – one old friend reaching out to another.”

Lin looked mildly impressed. “And they’ll be here when?”

“As soon as they possibly can. This is a difficult situation for all involved, and I don’t know the scope of their reach. They may not operate outside of Republic City yet, and if that’s the case we do have an advantage,” Tenzin said.

“You can organize information exchanges outside of Republic City,” Mako deduced. “That way the Equalists can’t figure out what we’re doing.”

“Exactly,” Tenzin confirmed. “Our intelligence shows that the Equalists rely heavily on modern technology. That’s why I’m planning on using more…antiquated methods.”

One of Lin’s eyebrows arched up. “Messenger hawks?”

“Only hobbyists use them now,” Tenzin said, gesturing wildly. “Why would the Equalists think to check what a messenger hawk is carrying, when it would most likely be a letter between enthusiasts extolling the virtues of messenger hawks?”

“It’s a good plan for starters,” Tarrlok said as he leaned on the table, tapping his finger against the lacquered surface, “but how long do you expect to keep the Equalists in the dark about that? They’ll figure out eventually that we’re using some alternate form of communication.”

“That’s true, which is why we’ll have to switch it up. Messenger hawks are just one way we can keep communication channels open,” Tenzin agreed.

“So what do we do now?” Bolin asked, looking between the three adults.

Tenzin sighed. “We wait.”

They ended up waiting for five more days until a modest ship came sailing into Yue Bay. It was an older Fire Nation model, not completely uncommon but far from a usual sight. It pulled up to the dock at Air Temple Island, and when the gangplank was lowered, two people were standing at the top, waiting to descend.

“So who do you think Tenzin called?” Bolin whispered to his brother.

“I have no idea,” Mako whispered back, watching the two figures glide down the gangplank.

“They look old enough that they witnessed the creation of the world,” Bolin murmured in awe, causing his brother to elbow him in the ribs.  “Ow!”

“Bo, don’t be rude,” Mako whispered.

“Mother, it’s nice to see you again, even though I do wish the circumstances were better,” Tenzin said, leaning down to give the old woman an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

“I know, Tenzin, I know,” she said, reaching up to pat his shoulder.

Tenzin then turned his attention to the tall, slender man standing next to his mother. “Lord Zuko, it’s been a long time.”

“Since the last time I came to Republic City, about three years ago,” Zuko answered. “You look well, Tenzin, considering the circumstances.”

“Most of it is just a show,” Tenzin sighed. “I don’t want to worry the children.”

Zuko nodded. “That is completely understandable.” He then turned his gaze to the other people standing on the docks. He recognized Lin – she was the spitting image of her mother after all – and that the man in the Water Tribe clothing was the young representative from up north, but the two boys confused him. “Who are they?”

“They are Avatar Korra’s friends,” Tenzin explained. “Brothers. Mako is the oldest, a firebender, and then his younger brother Bolin is an earthbender.”

Zuko’s heart clenched, remembering everything that had happened in Yu Dao, remembering Kori and her desperate plight to keep her home safe. That as the daughter of both a firebender and an earthbender felt that her loyalties were torn and the Harmony Restoration Project would only succeed in tearing families like hers apart. In the end Zuko had made a judgment call to leave the colonies alone, almost leading to a second war until Katara had talked some sense into Aang that it was possible for the nations to co-exist peacefully blended together. It was the start of the United Republic.

“Are they trained?” Zuko asked.

“As pro-benders,” Tenzin replied. “Lin has already agreed to begin training Bolin in combative earthbending, and I hope that she’ll take him on as an apprentice.”

“What about his brother?” Zuko asked, though he had an idea of why Tenzin had specifically asked him to return to Republic City. And that it didn’t necessarily have to do with Avatar Korra’s abduction.

“He needs an instructor, someone who can mentor him as well as teach him how to be a top-notch firebender. He has the passion and the drive, but I think that his personal issues might be clouding his judgment and keeping him from reaching his full potential,” Tenzin explained.

“You want me to train him,” Zuko said with a small smile.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Tenzin replied quietly. “His parents were killed by a firebender when he was eight, he raised Bolin on the streets, taking on odd jobs, even working for the Triple Threats for a while. It was a stroke of luck that a retired pro-bender found  him scuffling on the street, and eventually took them to live at the pro-bending arena and started to train them.”

With a frown, Zuko studied Mako, who was talking quietly to his brother. “I know that type. The brother that had to raise a sibling.”

“As do I,” Tenzin agreed, thinking of his uncle. “They’re stubborn and combative, and have a constant need to be right. He’ll need someone to teach him that it’s okay to make mistakes.”

“This isn’t going to be an easy task, Tenzin,” Zuko said, half of his mouth twitching up. “He’ll probably fight me every step of the way.”

“You taught my father, you taught your daughter, you taught your grandson. You’ve dealt with nearly every personality type during your tenure as Fire Lord. If anyone can get through to this boy, it’s you,” Tenzin pleaded. “I would have asked Iroh, but I cannot ask him to step away from his duties in the United Forces."

“It’s fine, Tenzin. I’ll do it. It sounds like this boy needs all the help he can get,” Zuko said grimly. “Besides, I have a feeling that I should be here given everything that’s happened with Avatar Korra. I suppose that’s why you wanted your mother here, as well.”

For the first time since he arrived, Zuko could see just how much the capture of his pupil was affecting Tenzin. His face was drawn and haggard, his shoulders were slumped, and the once proud airbender looked as if he was living in a perpetual cloud of depression. “We never considered that the Equalists would take such drastic action so early.”

“You said that they’ve made no announcement to the city that they’ve captured her,” Zuko mused. “Why do you think that they took her if they’re not planning on using her to get us to bow to their demands?”

“Perhaps they’ll do it later,” Tenzin mused as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “At the moment we believe that they’ve simply taken her to keep her out of the way. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It seems that Amon has taken that adage to heart.”

“That’s troubling,” Zuko answered. With a sigh, he shook his head. “We should go into the temple to discuss this further. Katara and I should be caught up with all of the information you have so far. After that I’ll talk to Mako about starting his training. Since you’ve already established that his brother will be training with Lin, I’m sure he’s been wondering what his future is.”

“I appreciate this, Lord Zuko,” Tenzin said, bowing at the older man.

“Come now Tenzin, I’m practically family,” Zuko chuckled, coloring slightly at Tenzin’s formality. “You can drop the ‘Lord’ and the bowing.”

“Years of etiquette have it permanently etched into my brain,” Tenzin answered.

“You know, your father referred to me as Fire Lord Hotman after my coronation,” Zuko mused as he rubbed his chin. “Surely you know that I don’t care if you’re formal with me or not.”

The airbender shrugged. At this point he was so used to referring to Zuko as “Lord Zuko” it was weird to address him as anything else.

“Tenzin,” Katara interrupted, having finished greeting Lin. “Where are Korra’s parents? I thought they took the first ship from the South Pole after Councilman Tarrlok told them what happened.”

“They did, but they opted to go all the way to the north to visit Tonraq’s family first. It sounded as if Chief Unalaq wanted to send a few warriors down to assist with the recovery efforts,” Tenzin replied. “I’ll admit, I was worried that this was a possibility. I know you decided that it was best to hide Korra’s relationship to the Chief, but I can’t help but wonder if it would have acted as a deterrent against such things as this.”

“I suppose at this point we’ll never know,” Katara said, shaking her head as she patted her son on the back. “Come, let’s have some tea and you can get me and Zuko caught up with the current state of Republic City.”

“As you wish, Mother,” Tenzin said, taking his mother’s arm and escorting her up to the family quarters of Air Temple Island.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed, and Amon starts getting ideas...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to admit it, but I’m running out of steam on this. I haven’t felt like working on it beyond editing here and there. I’m practically done with chapter 11, but I can’t quite seem to find a good ending spot, on top of which I have bits of much later chapters written out but no idea exactly *where* they fit in the overall narrative beyond “later.” I’m going to keep poking at it - if I’m lucky I’ll find my groove again - but it may be put on hiatus for a bit to allow me some perspective on it and see if I have it within me to finish it.
> 
> Furthermore, I do want to stress that this is not a rape-kink fic. There will not be any erotica centered around that theme. So while rape is part of the story, it's not meant to be arousing. It's meant to be disturbing and uncomfortable. I really do want to focus on the trauma and how it affects a person's life and that the healing process can be slow.

Shifting on the mattress, Korra tried to ignore the wetness between her legs. She’d been held captive by the Equalists for a month now, and nothing was a better measure of time than her monthly cycle, which had ended right before she had been captured. She felt disgusting, but there was nothing she could do. Instead she simply tried to make herself comfortable on the mattress, and wondered with morbid curiosity if the next chi blockers to come in would have a panic attack at the sight of the blood on her pants and blanket.

She didn’t have to wait long, perhaps an hour, before the chi blockers came in. At first she figured they wouldn’t notice, and why should they? Their main concerns were blocking her chi paths, the important ones along her torso and under her arms. If they did notice the blood, well, then they were a lot more observant than she gave them credit it for.

After they blocked her chi she went back to lie down on the cot. She had made several more escape attempts over the month, usually ending when she wound up running into Amon’s chest. He would then lecture her about taking advantage of their hospitality as he dragged her back to her cell, and punishing her for a few days by withholding something, be it her favorite part of the meals or a bath. Her favorite time to make a break for it was when the chi blockers were about to close up her cell, and the ones who dealt with her on a regular basis knew enough to keep a close eye on her.

Though sometimes there was such a thing as too close an eye on her.

“Spirits!” one of them burst out, noting the blood on her pants and on the mattress of the cot. “Go get Amon!”

His companion took off down the hall in a sprint while he locked the door to Korra’s cell and started pacing nervously in front of it. Amused by the reaction but not enough to pay too much attention, Korra sat down and tried to meditate. It was harder than usual because of the cramps, but it was better than watching the chi blocker pace in front of her cell like one of the sabertooth moose-lions in Republic City’s zoo.

“What on earth could be such an emergency?” Korra heard Amon growl several minutes later.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, noting that for once she could actually read his body language, and he was mad.

“Look at her!” the first chi blocker said, pointing at where she sat. Korra shifted slightly and blinked demurely up at her captors.

He turned to look at her, assessing her appearance. When he noted the blood on her pants, he realized what was going on. “That’s…go get one of the women,” Amon sighed.

“But sir-“

“She’s not going to bleed out on us, now go get one of the women and tell her that it’s the Avatar’s time. She’ll know what you mean and this will be dealt with,” Amon said, his tone sharp. “Now go!”

The chi blocker ran off, leaving Korra, the other chi blocker and Amon alone.

“You, go get her some fresh blankets and find a fresh mattress for her. There’s no point in making her sleep in her own blood,” Amon said. “Make sure you bring her a change of clothing.”

“Yes, sir,” the chi blocker said before running off to get the items Amon listed off.

Korra smirked at him when they were alone. “Well that’s mighty kind of you,” she drawled.

“I am not so inhumane as to make you spend the next four days wallowing in your own blood and bodily fluids,” he said with a disdainful sniff. “The women will bring you the necessary items to deal with this…mess.”

“I don’t think you took this into consideration when you decided to capture me, did you?” Korra said, looking at him with a sort of perverse glee at his apparent discomfort.

“Be that as it may,” Amon said, glossing over her question, “I will not be releasing you based on a simple, natural cycle. We have methods of dealing with this, and deal with it we shall.”

“Oh wonderful,” Korra snarked as she leaned back against the wall.

Several moments of silence passed before a female chi blocker arrived, her arms laden with rags. “This is the best I could do on short notice, sir.”

“Thank you,” Amon said, opening the cell door for the woman. She dropped the rags on the floor next to the toilet and then exited, not even bothering to say anything to Korra.

Not that Korra was surprised, she was used to being ignored by the chi blockers unless they had to directly deal with her. It didn’t take much longer for the others to arrive with the new mattress, sheets, and blankets and get it all changed out while Korra was made to strip out of her blood stained clothing. Standing in her cell and shivering in her wrappings, she waited for the chi blockers to leave before she would even consider using one of the rags for its intended purpose.

Noticing that Amon was lingering, she turned to him with a snarl. “What?!”

He cocked his head. “Just thinking, Avatar, just thinking,” he answered before he walked away.

As Korra cleaned herself up and changed, Amon headed back up to his office where he had been in the middle of a meeting with his Lieutenant and Hiroshi Sato. It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected there to be a minor kerfuffle when the Avatar’s monthly cycle hit, some of his chi blockers were young and uneducated, but he hadn’t expected it to sound like she was dying.

Striding back into his office, the Lieutenant looked up from some blueprints spread out on the table and inclined his head at his leader. “Is everything fine?”

“The Avatar’s monthly cycle started,” Amon replied as he sat down at his desk. “I forgot that the two who block her chi first thing in the morning were so young and wouldn’t realize that what was happening was normal.”

Sato grimaced. “She’ll be even more unpleasant now.”

“It’ll only last a few days, Sato,” Amon said coolly. “As it was, I can’t say that I noticed any changes in her behavior.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to deal with this once a month until we can get rid of her,” the Lieutenant mumbled.

“It did get me thinking about something, though,” Amon said as he leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on his desk.

Sato and the Lieutenant exchanged a look. “And what would that be?” the Lieutenant asked.

“My need for an heir. Someone to carry on my legacy after I’m gone,” Amon replied.

“That’s…couldn’t you groom someone to be your heir?” Sato asked, stroking his moustache.

“I could, but my technique for taking bending cannot be taught,” Amon replied. “It must be inherited.”

“So you need a kid, is what you’re saying,” the Lieutenant said. “Well, it shouldn’t be hard for you to find someone to carry your child. Any of the female chi blockers would do it in a heartbeat.”

“Mmm, yes, that’s a possibility,” Amon agreed, “but I had someone else in mind.”

Both Sato and the Lieutenant started at him.

“Should I start naming off all of the reasons why that’s a bad idea?” the Lieutenant asked. “Starting with she would never let you get close enough to her to even kiss her, let alone have sex with her.”

“I’m very persuasive.”

“Be that as it may, I can’t help but think that it’s a bad idea,” Sato chimed in.

“Being the mother of my child would be worth her while. She doesn’t strike me as being completely unreasonable,” Amon mused.

“We are talking about Avatar Korra, right?” the Lieutenant asked. “The girl is has hotheaded and stubborn as they come.”

“She may need more persuading than others,” Amon said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “but I have no doubt that she’ll come around.”

“If you say so,” Sato muttered. He cleared his throat and continued. “Anyway, back to the task at hand, there are still some flaws, but I’ve nearly got them worked out. The mechatanks will be in production shortly.”

“Excellent. I’ll start making plans to systematically cut the city off at its knees,” Amon said, nodding at Sato. “Those pretentious benders won’t know what happening until it’s too late.”

“The Age of the Benders is coming to end,” Sato said with a satisfied smile. “Anyway, I need to get back to the factory before my workers start asking questions.”

“One last question, Sato,” Amon said as Sato and the Lieutenant got up to leave. “Are you planning on bringing your daughter into our fold?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Sato answered, uncertainty in the lines of his face. “At the moment I’ve seen that it’s safer for her to stay out of it, but I think that she would be a valuable asset. She’s gotten close to those brothers that the Avatar was on the pro-bending team with. They’re now living at Air Temple Island with Councilman Tenzin.”

“You want to use your own daughter as a spy?” The Lieutenant looked put off by Hiroshi’s comments.

“I think she could be made to see reason,” Sato replied. “She would be able to give us vital information on what the council is doing. You want to cut off the city at its knees? How about we cut off its head?”

“One step at a time, Sato,” Amon said, shaking his head. “If you tell your daughter all of that up front, she’ll never accept it. You said that she’s close with those two brothers. You may be her father, but she’s a young girl in the first bloom of love and if you tell her the truth, she’ll keep dating that firebender just to spite you.”

“It’s almost a cliché, but probably true,” the Lieutenant agreed. “Like that tragic scene from _Love Amongst the Dragons._ ”

“Fair enough,” Sato agreed. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

The rest of the day passed as it usually did for Amon. He oversaw the training of new recruits, held meetings with the highest ranked chi blockers, oversaw equipment distribution, and occasionally answered questions regarding the Avatar’s “condition.”

Throughout the day he pondered the question of an heir. Children weren’t really something he wanted, but if he was to continue his mission, take down the avatar in every incarnation, he’d need to pass his secret down, and it would have to be to his child.

Oh, he could ask any of the female chi blockers to do it, any of them would be glad to share his bed and his body. There was only one problem – he felt nothing towards any of them.

He was taking tea with the Lieutenant when the mustached man brought the subject up again. “I know you said you wanted an heir, a legitimate heir not just some kid picked from the ranks,” he started, “but why choose the Avatar?”

Indeed, why choose the Avatar? Now that he thought about it, the answer was obvious. “She chose me.”

The Lieutenant fixed him with an incredulous look. “You don’t honestly expect me to me to buy that, do you?”

“She was the one who called me out,” Amon replied, running his finger around the rim of his teacup.

“So by challenging you to a duel that she was in no way prepared for, that somehow makes her the perfect candidate to be the mother of your child?” the Lieutenant asked. Something was not adding up here.

“The Avatar is strong, as well as having a connection to the Spirit World.”

The Lieutenant pondered his superior’s words. Amon had explained to him that he had been granted special abilities by the spirits that enabled him to take away bending, so he supposed that it wasn’t completely unbelievable that the Avatar’s connection to the Spirit World would be a boon. Not that he thought that that particular aspect of her could be passed on to her children, but it wasn’t implausible either. “That ties in with your spiritual abilities, then? That between the two of you, you could produce an heir with your spiritual abilities.”

“Exactly,” Amon answered. “As much as I hate to admit it, I am getting on in years and I need an heir, someone who will carry on my work and my legacy. The Avatar is the perfect candidate.”

“She’s never going to agree,” the Lieutenant pointed out. “I don’t think it will matter what you say to her, she’d rather claw your eyes out than let you touch her.”

“There are ways of making her see reason.”

The Lieutenant shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I don’t know, Amon. This seems like a bad idea.”

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant,” Amon said, leveling his gaze on his subordinate. “I can handle this.”

The bad feeling that had settled in the Lieutenant’s gut got worse at Amon’s words. “Fine. I’m washing my hands of this whole situation right now. I don’t want to know what your relationship with the Avatar is, but I do hope that you’ll make the right decision and leave her alone. She’s out of the way in her cell, no need to complicate things further.”

“I appreciate your counsel, Lieutenant,” Amon said. “Of course I won’t make any rash decisions. I am merely keeping myself open to all of the options.”

The Lieutenant shook his head. Some of those options would lead to ruin. Especially if they involved the Avatar.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako is forced to examine the decisions he's made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I should have updated this a couple of months ago, but part of me just hasn't been feeling it. It's not that I want to completely abandon the project, but more that I'm feel that my creative juices for it have gotten stagnant and so I'm messing around in other fandoms until my muse gets inspired to work here again. Hopefully by the time Book 3 releases, I'll be ready to go gung-ho on this project once more.

In the two weeks since Mako had started training under former Fire Lord Zuko, he had never undergone drills as rigorous as the paces the elderly firebender put him through. Mako realized that Toza had been as gentle as a koala-sheep when it came to bending compared to Zuko. Zuko was like a sabertooth moose-lion – an angry, mother sabertooth moose-lion.

After two weeks straight of waking him up at the crack of dawn every morning for meditation followed by intense training, Mako wasn’t sure if this was the greatest idea that Councilman Tenzin ever had. Sure, he had never had proper firebending training, but Sifu Zuko was telling him to forget everything that he had learned.

It was, by far, one of the most frustrating experiences of Mako’s young life.

“Is something wrong, Mako?” Zuko asked, cocking his head at his pupil.

“Why am I doing this?” Mako yelled. “For two weeks you’ve been getting me up as soon as the sun rises, making me meditate for hours, and we haven’t done anything more than a few basic moves I learned from my dad when I was a kid!”

To Zuko’s credit, he didn’t flinch. Instead he observed his pupil with calm regard, as if he was trying to decide what the next move they’d go over was. “I think we should take some time for tea.”

“Tea?! What does tea have to do with anything?! I’m here in the kiddie class for firebending, the Avatar is being held by the Equalists only who knows where, and you want to take a tea break?!”

Zuko nodded. “I do.”

“Are you crazy?”

“That depends entirely upon who you ask,” Zuko answered with a chuckle as he began to prepare the tea. He ignored Mako’s little outburst, recalling that once upon a time, that had been him. His impatience with his uncle had been uncalled for. However, it had worked out in the end, as his uncle’s continued patience with him had ultimately shaped the man that Zuko became.

“This whole situation is ridiculous. I don’t need firebending training.” Mako crossed his arms against his chest and pouted.

“Patience, Mako. You need to calm down,” Zuko advised, motioning for Mako to sit with him. “I understand that you’re upset because your friend has been missing for a month now, but yelling and screaming isn’t going to bring her back.”

“How…”

“Mako, Tenzin told me that you’ve been taking care of your brother for ten years now.”

“Yeah? So?”

“That is a lot of responsibility for a child.”

“We survived.”

“Yes, you did,” Zuko agreed with a nod. “But at what cost?”

“I’ve already been over this with Tenzin,” Mako huffed as he sat. “I get it. I need to let Bolin go, let him live his own life and not hover over him.”

“Yes, that’s certainly true. But Tenzin also mentioned something else,” Zuko said as he waited for the water to heat. “He mentioned that you have unresolved feelings towards the Avatar, that you feel more than just friendship towards her. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed that you seem torn when you are in Miss Sato’s presence. You love both of them, and your indecision is distracting you from your training.”

Mako’s gaze slid to where Zuko appeared to be fussing with the teapot. “What are you talking about?”

Zuko sighed. He suddenly wished he could go back and apologize to his uncle for being so insufferable during his youth. “Mako, firebending requires focus and a clear center. Your obvious indecision between Avatar Korra and Miss Sato means that you’re unbalanced, and until you regain that balance you will neither master firebending nor will you be of any help to the Avatar.”

“And how do you know?” Mako snapped.

Half of Zuko’s mouth twitched up. “Because I was once undecided.”

“Girl troubles?”

“No, it was a matter of my loyalty and honor. For many years all I wanted was my father’s approval, but when I learned that sort of the person who would earn that approval was not the person I wanted to be, I made my choice. I tracked down the Avatar and asked for his forgiveness,” Zuko explained as he started to brew the tea. “It took some doing, but I finally earned it.”

“So you found your center, whoop-de-doo.”

“I fight constantly within myself to keep my center,” Zuko confessed. “My great-grandfather is Fire Lord Sozin, who gained infamy for the genocide of the Air Nomads. But on my mother’s side, my great-grandfather is Avatar Roku. War and peace are constantly in conflict within me, and keeping my balance has not been as easy as you might think.”

Mako gaped at him. “So wait…let me get this straight, your great-grandfather was Avatar Roku? So you’re what? Spiritually related to Korra?”

“As I was spiritually related to Avatar Aang,” Zuko chuckled. “He used it as an annoying excuse to give me hugs, claiming that as the reincarnation of my great-grandfather that he was entitled to such things.”

“What a weird guy,” Mako muttered.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Zuko agreed. “But I faced other conflicts as well – the realization that I could never win the heart of my first love, and that I’d have to give her up.”

“Why? Too much competition?”

“I may be the Fire Lord, but it’s very hard to compete with the Avatar,” Zuko said as he checked on the tea. He frowned a moment and then replaced the lid on the tea pot to allow it to steep longer.

“Wait, wait, wait, are you saying that you had a thing for Master Katara?” Mako looked completely floored by the revelation.

“She was one of the first people who made me believe that I could be more than my father’s pawn. When I turned on her under Ba Sing Se I made a mistake, but I didn’t realize it until after the damage had been done. Katara was the last person to trust me when I joined the group for real, and with good reason. Despite my feelings for her, I knew that in the end it wasn’t meant to be. She loved Aang and Aang loved her. I couldn’t break them up, but I did let Katara know how I felt about her. We both agreed that it was for the best that we follow our own paths.”

“But you found someone you loved. You have a family.”

“I do,” Zuko agreed, his voice soft. “But I will always love Katara and what she stands for in my life.” He gave Mako a level look. “You also need to determine what place Avatar Korra and Miss Sato will hold in your life. Until you get that figured out, you will never be able to find your center. Your training will be on hold until you reach a decision. I urge you to meditate and reflect on your choices.”

The rest of tea passed in silence, Mako silently stewing in his animosity for his firebending instructor and Zuko remembering days long passed.

When Zuko dismissed him, Mako retreated to a quiet part of Air Temple Island, not to reflect as his Sifu had instructed, but instead to wallow in his misery. Lord Zuko didn’t understand anything. He couldn’t. It wasn’t like he’d lost his family at such a young age, or had to fight for everything that he had. He’d never been passed over or pitied by well-meaning people who didn’t quite mean well enough.

He spent the entire day wallowing, shuffling back into the room he shared with Bolin right before dinner.

“Whoa, bro, you look awful,” Bolin observed. Pabu chirruped in agreement.

“I’m fine, Bo,” Mako muttered as he flopped on his bed. “Just a long day.”

“But I didn’t see you training,” Bolin said. “Does Sifu Zuko have you meditating again? Master Katara said that he was fond of meditation, that he made Avatar Aang do it a lot.”

“I wasn’t mediating.”

“Then what were you doing?”

Sulking wasn’t an appropriate response, so he mumbled something and gave a halfhearted shrug.

“Mako…are you okay?” Bolin asked. His face was drawn in concern, his eyes wide with worry. “You seem off.”

“Everything’s fine, Bo. Don’t worry about it,” Mako answered with a sigh.

“This has to do with Korra, doesn’t it?”

Mako turned to look at his brother. “No it doesn’t.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Bolin pouted. “I know how you feel about her, I have eyes y’know.”

“You’re crazy.”

“No I’m not,” Bolin answered, loud and clear. “I know you think that I’m an idiot or something, but that’s not true. I can see you how feel about her. You like Korra, as more than just a teammate and friend.”

Mako sputtered, trying to rebut his brother’s statement but found that he was unable to. It was true, after all, and perhaps that was why it was so difficult. Because he would have to admit to himself what he couldn’t even admit to his baby brother.

“I know you play it cool with her, but sometimes I see you watching her during practice. And she watches you, too.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Come to think of it, what chance did I have? You’re older, stronger, and more impressive in the arena. I’m just the little brother. Why would she be interested in me?”

“No, Bo, don’t say that,” Mako pleaded, sitting up. “Korra likes you-“

“As a friend, maybe,” Bolin cut in. “But I’m pretty sure that she’s been in love with you since the moment she saw you. It was stupid of me to assume that I could get her to like me, to forget about you. It’s not like the sudden appearance of Asami was going to change how she felt about you.”

Mako recoiled. He’d been so caught up in the euphoria of having a sponsor that he hadn’t really considered Korra’s feelings beyond her being thrilled that they’d be able to play in the championship after all. He’d found her rather cold response to Asami puzzling, though now that Bolin had called attention to it, he realized he had accidentally wounded her pride and broken her heart.

“You care about Korra, right?” Bolin asked, looking at his older brother with such faith and trust that Mako suddenly felt like a huge heel for everything he’d done.

“She’s a friend, yeah,” Mako admitted. It was progress.

Bolin rolled his eyes. “But do you feel more than friendship for her?”

“I…I…”

“Oh just spit it out,” Bolin huffed, plucking Pabu from his shoulders and placing the fire ferret on his bed. “You’re in love with both Korra and Asami.”

Mako goggled at his younger brother. Bolin was a lot of things, primarily naïve and oblivious, so a sharp observation was enough to knock Mako off kilter. “What? That’s ridiculous.”

“You’re still a terrible liar,” Bolin said, shaking his head.

“It’s not easy to admit to any of this, Bo,” Mako exclaimed. “Sifu Zuko pointed it out, too.”

“I’d listen to Sifu Zuko, if I were you. He’s a very wise man,” Bolin said solemnly.

Mako dropped his gaze to the floor. “Yeah, he is.”

“Then why have you been fighting him? I realize that I’m not a firebender, I don’t rise with the sun or whatever, but I’ve seen you with him and how much you fight him. He asks you to do something and you argue with him over it. The man is ancient, I think he would know what he’s talking about by now.”

“Are you saying that you never disagree with Chief Beifong?”

Bolin laughed. “Right, because arguing with her would go so well.” He gave his brother a cheeky grin. “I listen to my Sifu and I respect her. I’ve learned a lot from her, and honestly, she’s not so bad once you get to know her.”

“You expect me to believe that Chief Beifong isn’t so bad once you get to know her?” Mako snorted. “I don’t think so.”

“Come on, bro, you think it’s been easy for her? She’s had to give up a lot to get to where she is. It’s not like was an easy decision to make, but she still made it.”

“So? What of it?”

“We can’t always go with the easy choice. We all have to make sacrifices.” Bolin tilted his head. “Whatever Sifu Zuko is asking you to do I think you should do it. I don’t think he’d ask you to do it unless he thought it would help.”

“I wish it were that easy, Bo,” Mako sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Well, talk to me about it,” Bolin urged. “This has to do with Korra and Asami, right?”

“I…I love them both,” Mako blurted. He wasn’t sure if he felt relieved or like he was going to be sick. “Korra’s…Korra’s amazing. She’s an amazing bender, which I guess is expected since she’s the Avatar. She’s an amazing friend, too.”

Bolin nodded his head. “I get it, Korra’s amazing. Please continue.”

“But Asami…Asami’s really great, too. Unlike most people of her station she doesn’t care that I’m flat broke or that most of my clothes are threadbare and patched up. She supports me no matter what I do. I didn’t realize how much I needed that, to have someone not look down at me like I was unworthy because I grew up with nothing and had to fight for whatever it was that I had. That somehow my life on the street invalidated who I was as a person.” He groaned. “She saw me for who I was, and she liked me. That meant something.”

“Yeah, that’s how I feel about Korra,” Bolin said. “She saw our bending and thought we were all right. She didn’t know a thing about us but still liked us. She didn’t care about our fame or our popularity, she just wanted to hang out with us. It was a nice change from the usual.”

“I know,” Mako agreed. “It’s the same thing with Asami.”

“And that’s why you’re having this dilemma,” Bolin pointed out.

“I can’t choose between them, it feels like I’d be letting one of them down.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Bolin said as he reached down and absently stroked Pabu’s tail. “Maybe you should talk to Asami about this. Be honest with her for a change instead of trying to keep her out of it. She is kind of involved.”

Letting out a breath, Mako nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Bolin snorted as he picked Pabu up and scratched under his chin. “Of course I’m right. It’s why they call me Doctor Love.”

Mako picked up his pillow and tossed it Bolin’s head, causing his brother to laugh. “They do not.” He stood and stretched, opting to actually take Sifu Zuko’s advice for a change and meditate. He could always poke around the kitchen later when he needed food. For now he needed to swallow his pride and actually do what his sifu asked of him.

After three days of near constant meditation, only stopping when he needed to eat or use the toilet, Mako finally arrived at a conclusion. That evening Asami arrived on Air Temple Island to join the family for dinner, and then spend some time with him. He would have to speak with her then about their relationship.

Dinner conversation was light, but there was an undercurrent of unease. Mako refused to make eye contact with girlfriend all evening, and only speaking when spoken to. That really wasn’t an issue, as Tonraq and Senna told stories of Korra’s childhood, supplemented by Katara.

“Gosh,” Asami said as she looked around the table. “Even though I never got to really know her face to face, I feel like she’s already one of my best friends.”

“Yeah, Korra’s really great,” Bolin agreed with a fond smile.

“I just wish you’d let me do more,” Asami finished, giving Tenzin a hard look. “I could be a real asset to your team!”

“I appreciate that you’re anxious to help, Miss Sato,” Tenzin said, his voice gentle. “However our position hasn’t changed. I know that you and your father would be tremendous assets to our search for Avatar Korra, but you’re both non-benders. I would hate to see the Equalists target you because they consider you traitors to your kind.”

“I don’t care about that,” Asami pleaded. “I just want to do something to help! I’m tired of sitting back and doing nothing when I know I could be helping!”

“It’s best if you stay out of it for now,” Tenzin replied. “If something changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

Asami sat back and frowned. It was clear that she wasn’t fond of sitting idly by when she felt like she could contribute to the greater good.

“Hey, Asami, why don’t we go take a walk,” Mako said, standing up. “I think some fresh air will clear our heads.”

Bolin looked surprised while Zuko tried to hide his pleased smile with his tea cup. Katara gave her old friend an aside glance but remained silent, while Tonraq and Senna wished the couple a good evening.

“But Mako-“ Asami protested.

“Come on, I actually have something I need to talk to you about,” Mako said as he guided her out the door. Asami wrenched her arm free and gave him an odd look before shrugging it off.

Once outside Mako led them towards the back of the island, where it was more secluded and there was less of a chance of someone interrupting them. “Why did you bring me all the way out here?” Asami asked when they finally stopped walking.

“Well, partly because you need to clear your head, but also because there’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said, looking at her with an earnest expression on his face.

“What’s going on, Mako?” she demanded, stepping back. “Are you going to tell me that Tenzin doesn’t want me coming to the island anymore?”

“No, that’s not it. You’re always welcome here, you know that,” he reassured her. “I haven’t been completely honest with you about a few things, and I owe you the truth.”

Asami’s face fell. “You lied to me? About what?”

“Well, firebending training really isn’t going as well as it could be,” he answered. “I know that seems like something I shouldn’t be lying to you about, but it’s embarrassing. I’m eighteen years old and basic, traditional firebending is beyond me.”

“Mako, I’m not so shallow as to like you any less if your grasp on traditional firebending isn’t where you think it should be. Very few people outside of the Fire Nation actually know traditional firebending anymore,” Asami answered as she reached out and squeezed Mako’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed about that.”

“There’s a reason why, though,” he sighed. “That’s what I’ve been afraid to tell you. It’s about Korra.”

“That you’re worried about her? Everyone knows that.”

“No, it’s…she was unconventional, you know? Snuck into the arena, she and Bo concocted some wild story and she hung around. She’s a talented bender, which is to be expected since she’s the Avatar, but it was more than that. She liked me and Bo for who we are, she didn’t care that we were pro-benders. I’m sure it helped, yeah, but she could see past that. Bolin was instantly smitten, and I was a bit awe struck, too. The more time I spent around her, the more I grew to like her but…”

Asami’s mouth formed an O as she realized what Mako was trying to say. “You liked her, too.”

“Bo was so infatuated with her that I didn’t want to get in the way. When we met I thought it was fate, because I really do like you Asami, you’re fantastic…but…”

“You can’t just forget how you feel about Korra,” Asami said, her lips twisting up in a sad smile. “I see.”

“I want you to know, Asami, that you are amazing and smart and strong and beautiful. I really do care about you, but my indecision between you and Korra has affected my bending.” Mako blinked a few times, cleared his throat, and then continued. “That’s why I’ve decided that we should take a break. I do value your friendship, but at the moment, I don’t think I should be in a relationship with anyone. I don’t think I’m ready for one.”

“I think the standard reaction for me is to yell and scream that it’s not fair,” Asami sighed, “but the thing is, you are being fair. You’re being more than fair, you’re being honest. To me, that’s far more important than just having you as my boyfriend.” She looked up at him, trying to read his expression. He looked tired and confused, like he’d been trying to sort through a puzzle and still hadn’t found a solution. “You don’t know how you feel yet, do you?”

“All I know is that it’s not fair to you if I’m pretending that all Korra is to me is just a teammate. Especially since she’s not. I think right now it’s in everyone’s best interest if we’re just friends, and see where it goes from there.”

Asami nodded. “I understand, I really do.”

“So, are we gonna be okay?” Mako asked, his voice low.

“I think so,” she answered, reaching up to cup his face in her palm. “If it’s meant to be, everything will work out in the end, right?”

He nodded, managing a small smile for not only her benefit but his as well. “Yeah, I do.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amon crosses a line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: RAPE AHEAD
> 
> If you'd like the TL;DR version of this chapter, it's posted at the end.

With her monthly cycle done, Korra settled back into the routine that Amon had established after he had first taken her. Regular chi blocking, meals three times a day, and a bucket of warm water and a rag for her to wash with. She liked the routine. It meant that for now she was safe.

Entertainment was on short supply, though. Counting ceiling tiles, rivets on the panels her cell was made of, buttons on her mattress or the visible cell bars on not only her cell but the ones she could see soon lost its appeal. She attempted meditation, but even though she was often left alone for hours on end, she could never focus long enough to make sense of the little flashes she would get.

And it was always the same flashes, too. There was a well-dressed man in court, Avatar Aang, Councilman Sokka, and Police Chief Toph BeiFong. But none of it made sense, and without knowing who the well-dressed man was, she’d never make heads or tails of the vision other than that Aang was trying to tell her something.

A week after her cycle ended a pair of chi blockers appeared outside her cell. She raised her eyebrows but didn’t speak, speaking to the chi blockers never ended well. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at them.

“Amon wants to see you,” one of them said.

“Then he can come down here. It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” she replied.

The chi blockers unlocked the door, one standing nearby and the other walking in and grabbing Korra’s arm with more force than necessary. Pulling to her to her feet, they ignored Korra’s protests as she was taken to a part of the Equalist base she’d never been to before. They led her down several corridors until she was in a room with a large bath.

“What are you doing?” she demanded as they shoved her into the room.

“Amon has requested your presence and he has requested you be cleaned up,” came the answer as they pushed her towards the bath. “Strip down, Avatar, you’re getting a bath.”

“What?!” Korra screeched. “Oh there is no way that I’m going to strip down and let you bathe me.”

A few jabs to some key chi points later, and Korra was stripped of her clothing and bindings and unceremoniously deposited in the tub. At the very least the two chi blockers were women so she didn’t have to deal with the obnoxious cat-calling from the male members, particularly those who had seen her punishment from Amon for her first attempt at escaping.

She was washed and then dressed in a beautiful Water Tribe tunic and leggings. It was more in line with what her mother would wear, pretty and feminine and it felt so foreign. Why did women like wearing these things? It restricted her movements, made her feel helpless and weak. No doubt that that was Amon’s intention with dressing her in that abomination.

When she was dressed and her hair adequately styled – at least they had the decency to put it back up into its usual style – Korra was led to a private room. It was beautifully furnished; at least she thought so since she didn’t really have anything to compare it to. The compound in the South Pole had always been about function rather than aesthetics.

“What am I-“

“Wait here. Amon will arrive shortly,” one of the chi blockers barked at her. In full uniform she couldn’t keep them straight, nor did she particularly care to. Her captors all looked the same to her, all but one. Her stomach lurched when she thought of Amon, of what he was capable of doing.

She poked about the room, pulling out drawers in the bureau, opening the wardrobe, and looking under the bed. It didn’t seem like that there was anything that would raise any red flags with her. Clothing, personal care items, a few books, all in all normal items that a person would find in someone’s personal quarters. It was strangely unthreatening.

And very unsettling.

“Found anything of interest?”

With a gasp Korra turned around and saw Amon standing in the doorway, regarding her with cool concern.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re a snoop,” he said as he strode into the room. “You’ve never show much respect for anyone who isn’t you.”

She scowled at him. “Why does that matter?”

“It doesn’t,” he shrugged.

“What do you want with me?” she snarled, stepping back as he moved towards her.

He stood still, studying her in silent appraisal. She looked quite pretty in the traditional garments of the Water Tribe women, and while there wasn’t anything wrong with what she normally wore, there was something about her dressed in a feminine manner. He blew out a breath and cocked his head to his to the side. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

She sneered at him before sitting down on a chair that was angled in the corner, next to a bookshelf. Crossing her arms against her chest she turned her head away from him and stared at the bookshelf, eyes skimming the titles but not really registered what she was seeing. Her nerves were on edge, especially since she had the very distinct feeling that he was watching her.

What was his game? What did he have to gain by bringing her here? She only had very basic knowledge of Tarrlok’s task force, and since she’d been gone for over a month she could no longer tell him what their plans were. She didn’t have any information that would be of use to him, so why go through the trouble of trying to butter her up if she couldn’t tell him anything?

Korra sat in the corner while Amon did whatever it was that he was doing until a knock pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up and saw a small group of chi blockers carrying in trays of food and arranging them on the table on the other side of the room. Was this Amon’s grand scheme? To invite her to dinner? He was no longer making sense. Not that he had ever made much sense to her before, but this was ridiculous.

Once the table was set and the chi blockers gone, Amon turned to where Korra was sitting. “Join me, Avatar Korra.”

An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach as the use of her name. He usually referred to her as Avatar or young Avatar, and for him to use her name was unsettling. “Why should I?”

“Are you not hungry?” Amon asked in reply.

“No, I’m not,” she replied with a defiant look. The effect was ruined, however, by her stomach gurgling loudly.

“Your body begs to differ. I promise you, there’s nothing in the food to harm you,” Amon assured her.

She gave him a skeptical look, but decided that resistance would end one of two ways. One, she would be knocked unconscious and dragged back to her cell, only to be lectured when she regained her wits. Two, she’d be strapped to the chair and forced to eat, while Amon lectured her.

No matter how she looked at it, she was doomed to a lecture about her inabilities as the Avatar and once again made to feel like she was a failure at her one purpose in life. And one of the few things that Korra had learned from her Air Bending training was that sometimes there was an advantage to avoiding conflict. This was definitely one of those times.

“Fine,” she mumbled as she rose. She crossed the room and sat down in the chair he indicated to, giving him the stink eye as he settled himself across from her.

“Go ahead and eat, Avatar,” he instructed, tilting his mask up just enough to be able to slide chopsticks underneath to eat.

Their meal was silent, Korra picking at bits of her food. Some of it was familiar, but there was quite a bit that was probably from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. She’d sampled bits of non-Water Tribe foods thanks to Mako and Bolin, but she hadn’t really had a chance to learn anything about it other than that most earth kingdom foods were heavily vegetable based and that the Fire Nation favored meat and spices.

“Is the meal to your liking, Avatar?” Amon asked, pulling Korra from her musings on the steamed bun she’d been eating.

“It’s better than the usual grub,” she answered, her nerves causing her to speak without thinking.

“Your meals are not to your liking?”

“Were they supposed to be?” she snarked back, glaring at him. The mask was pulled down again and he was looking at her, but as usual she couldn’t read his expression.

He chuckled but didn’t say anything, instead tilting the mask up again to resume eating.

Korra barely ate the last of her meal, instead pushing the food around with her chopsticks or outright ignoring it. When Amon finished he cleared his throat, calling Korra’s attention to him. “You’re finished, Avatar? You’ve hardly eaten a thing.”

“Well, I guess I don’t have much an appetite,” she retorted.

“You should at least drink your tea,” he urged. “It will calm your nerves.”

“My nerves are fine,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Oh?”

She glowered at him – glaring, glowering, frowning, scowling, she’d been doing a lot of that lately – and then grabbed her teacup, drained it, and then slammed it back on the table. “There, happy?”

“Ecstatic,” came the flat reply.

“So why did you bring me here?” she demanded, looking at him. “Is there something that you want, because let me tell you right now I have no idea what Councilman Tarrlok’s plans are. He wasn’t exactly the type to share.”

“I have a…proposition…for you,” he answered. “I find myself in a rather interesting predicament. I am a man with a unique ability and, quite unfortunately, growing older every day without an heir to carry on my work.”

“And this involves me how?”

“If I thought I could teach my abilities, I would pick an heir and guide them to a glorious future,” he explained, rising and pacing the floor of his room. “But my abilities must be passed down through bloodlines.”

“You’re insane,” Korra snarled, gripping the edge of the table.

“Mighty presumptuous of you, Avatar,” Amon said lightly.

“But that’s why I’m here, right? Some sort of tit for tat deal where if I give you the heir you need, you’ll what? Treat me better?” She let out a hollow bark of laughter. “The Fire Nation will freeze over first.”

“I see my intelligence was wrong.”

“What?!”

“You’re quite smart when you need to be,” he mused as he watched her face twist in rage.

“Forget it. I’ll never do it. I would never willingly touch you in that way.” She pushed herself up and blinked when her vision swam. Shaking her head, she moved towards Amon, intent on making her displeasure known with her fists, but stumbled, her body pitching forward on a collision course with the floor.

Except she was caught by a pair of sturdy arms before she could kiss the ground. “Easy now, Korra,” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“What…what have…you done?” she asked, her mind going fuzzy. Why weren’t her arms working? Why couldn’t she get away from him?

“I thought you might need a little persuasion, that’s all,” he replied as he picked her up and carried her towards the bed. He gently placed her on the mattress before reached down to stroke her face. “I don’t want to hurt you, Avatar. I am against everything you stand for, but not against you. You are an innocent pawn caught up in a game you can never hope to understand.”

Struggling against whatever Amon had slipped her, Korra tried to bat his hand away. “Why me?”

“Because you are the Avatar,” he explained as he crossed the room to turn off the overhead light. He flipped on one lamp on the table next to the door and crossed back to the bed, sitting down next to Korra. “I am a being of incredible power, and there is only one person in this whole world whose abilities could even come close to matching mine.”

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that he meant her.

“Oh yes, young Avatar, you are the only one worthy to bear my child.”

“Never,” she spat. She tried to move, to get off the bed, but her body wouldn’t listen. Her limbs felt like lead and her mind was foggy. The drug that he had used on her was potent.

“Don’t resist, Korra,” he said as he began to undress her. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“No…” she whimpered. “Stop.”

“Everything will be fine,” he soothed. “You did want this after all, you called to me and I answered.”

Powerless to keep him from peeling her clothes off, Korra tried to think about other things as his fingers lightly roamed all over her body. She thought about going for runs on the tundra with Naga, and about training under Master Katara. She remembered the Winter Solstice festival with her parents, and of the smells of her mother’s cooking. Visions of Mako and Bolin flitted through her mind, of early morning training sessions and Pabu doing silly tricks for a special treat. She thought of anything to keep her from acknowledging what Amon was doing to her.

“You’re quite beautiful, Korra,” he murmured as he removed the tunic from her torso.

Korra wanted to punch him, scratch him, kick him, _hurt him_ but whatever he’d slipped in her food made it impossible for her to fight back. She hated feeling so weak, she hated feeling helpless. The years that she had spent training and honing her skills were rendered moot by the drug. She was the Avatar, she was better than this. She shouldn’t have been taken down so easily.

“You precious thing,” he breathed as his head dipped so he could kiss her exposed neck.

At some point he’d removed all of his clothing as well as his mask. Not that she could see him, as the angle of the lamp made it so that his face was always in shadow, along with much of his body.

Korra’s heart was pounding. This was not how she imagined her first time – she had always figured it’d be with someone she cared about, someone who would make sure she enjoyed herself, had fun and wouldn’t end up hurt.

This was so wrong. So very, very wrong.

“You’re prefect for me,” Amon murmured as his hands roamed over her body. Korra couldn’t stop her body from reacting, shivering in fear and causing gooseflesh. “Strong.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Passionate.” He lightly kissed her lips causing her to flinch. “Feisty.” Between her breasts now. “Headstrong.” He flicked his tongue out and circled it around her navel. “Tenacious.” One hip bone. “Self-righteous.” He chuckled as he kissed the other hip bone. “And I wouldn’t change a thing.”

_You’re insane_ , her mind screamed, but she couldn’t manage anything else but a soft whimper. _This is not normal, this is not normal at all._

Of course there was nothing normal about her capture from the beginning, so this wasn’t anything new, but perhaps simply more disturbing. When had things become so twisted?

She couldn’t control her responses to his touches; the way she shuddered has his hands drifted over her body or the way she’d tense up when his lips met with hers. Something he did got her body to respond willingly to his touches so that by the time he joined with her, her body offered no resistance. She closed her eyes and thought of home, thought of her friends, and tried to forget about where she was. Even meditation offered little escape as she didn’t get any of the flashes from Aang.

When he finished he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then rolled off of her, lying next to her on the bed for a moment before getting up and heading to the bathroom to clean up. Korra remained on the bed, unable to move. She was in shock, still trying to process what she’d just gone through. Despite her protests Amon had continued, and what was more, he’d been unnaturally gentle with her.

“Do you want pajamas?” he asked as he walked back in from the bathroom.

“What?” she croaked.

“Pajamas,” he repeated as he headed to the bureau. “You’ll be staying in my room from here on out.”

She opened her mouth to protest, to tell him that he could take a flying leap from the top of Harmony Tower, but she couldn’t find her voice. Her eyes fluttered closed as she turned her head away from him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks as the realization that she was absolutely powerless to stop him hit her with full force.

Taking her silence as her desire to sleep in the nude, Amon tucked her into bed before climbing in next to her and dropping off to sleep.

Lying awake next to him, she realized that her situation was growing increasingly more surreal, and a niggling feeling in her gut told her that it was just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR version of this chapter:
> 
> Amon makes his move concerning Korra and his "future." He drugs her and starts keeping her like a pet. 
> 
> Yes, that is supposed to be as creepy and unsettling as it sounds.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami faces a truth she wishes she never discovered, and then decides to do something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, it's been ages since my last update.
> 
> Between health issues, waning interest, and a fickle muse, I just haven't felt like working on this story. However, after watching the series finale I'm starting to feel the itch again, so here's hoping that I can get back in to the swing of things with this fic.

Over the three months that Avatar Korra had been missing, Asami had been having dinner at Air Temple Island twice a week. Her father hadn’t been thrilled with this, but he kept his grumbling to that he rarely saw his daughter anymore. For the most part that was true; he’d been extremely busy with new Satomobile designs, locking himself up in his workshop for hours on end in the evening, often missing meals.

Asami would always go into say goodnight to her father when she got home from dinner, usually finding him filling out paperwork for payroll or order sheets by the light of the lamp on his desk. Sometimes they’d talk about how the dinners went, but usually he would smile apologetically and give her a quick hug and a kiss good night before getting right back into the paperwork. Hoping that they’d have some time to talk this evening, Asami headed for his office and was about to knock on the door when she heard him speak. There must have been a late night emergency at the factory.

“The mechatanks are almost done. We don’t need to roll them out immediately; the councilman’s task force has been quiet as of late, no need to show our hand just yet.” He paused, murmured a few responses and then spoke again. “This is no problem. I’ve already spoken to Amon about this and he’s in agreement.” Another pause. “Well I’m not going to defy Amon and I don’t recommend that you do it either.”

The very distinct sound of her father hanging up the telephone pulled Asami out of the shock she felt. Straightening, she hurried down the hall and to her room, quickly stripping down to her blouse and leggings, trying not to show any sort of stress on her face when her father knocked on her door and asked to come in.

“Good evening, Asami. Why didn’t you stop by the office?” Hiroshi asked as he stood in the doorway.

“I heard you on the phone and decided not to bother you. Besides, I had a little car trouble on my way home and got some oil on my clothes and I wanted to get them treated as soon as possible,” Asami answered, nudging the wadded up clothing with her toe. “You know how grease stains can be.”

“That I do,” her father agreed with a chuckle. “I just wanted to make sure everything was fine.”

“Of course everything’s find, Dad,” Asami lied with a false smile for added effect.

“How was dinner?”

“The usual,” she answered as she ducked behind a changing screen to put on her pajamas. “Pema makes the best dinners, and it was nice to talk to everyone.”

“Any news on the Avatar?”

Asami cringed, glad her father couldn’t see her. It had been an offhand comment about Korra’s disappearance, even though she hadn’t meant to say anything, and at first she had believed her father’s concern for Korra’s safety to be genuine. Now she realized that he’d been using her to determine what Tarrlok’s task force knew about Korra’s disappearance. “No, nothing yet.” Biting her lower lip Asami wavered a moment before adding on, “But I don’t think that they’ll give up.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t expect them to,” her father agreed, causing Asami to cringe again. “Anyway, I have more paperwork to do. Good night, Asami.”

“Good night, Dad,” she said as she rounded the screen. As was expected of her she walked over to her dad and gave him a hug and a kiss good night.

He closed the door behind him, leaving Asami with her thoughts. She crawled into bed and hoped that some sleep would give her some much needed perspective. However sleep was fleeting as she tossed and turned all night, her mind unable to process the revelation that her father was an Equalist. Was he just a sympathizer? A full supporter? From the little bit of conversation that she’d overheard, it sounded like her father had spoken to Amon several times, and that this had been going on for quite some time.

With her brain as so addled that sleep never came, Asami lay in bed as the sun rose, exhausted but unable to sleep. She’d tried to rationalize why her father would join the Equalists, but every reason she could come up with as ridiculous as the one before it.

The next few days were strained as she came up with flimsy excuse after flimsy excuse to avoid seeing her father. She wasn’t sure if she could deal with him, what he was a part of. She told him she felt ill, that it was just a cold and a few days of rest would make her feel better. She missed the next dinner at Air Temple Island, but that was fine with her. There was a meeting to crash.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Asami walked into the meeting, ignoring the gasps of shock. “I have some news.”

“Miss Sato, whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait,” Councilman Tarrlok said.

“It can’t,” she insisted as moved to sit at the table.

“Asami, what’s going on?” Mako asked as he stood up. Out of all of the people in the room, she’d probably respond better to him taking her out of the room.

“I have information I think you’ll want,” she said as she stepped around Mako and looked around the room.

“Asami, it’s nice that you want to help, but I thought that we were clear that nothing good could come out of you joining our efforts to recover Avatar Korra,” Tenzin said, his voice kind yet firm.

“I’m already involved whether you want me to be or not,” she protested. “My father is an Equalist. I think he’s the one building their weapons. Or maybe even all of them.”

The room fell silent. Chirping crickets and the soft tinkle of the wind chimes drifted into the room from the open window. Asami crossed her arms against her chest and frowned. “Well?”

Lin recovered first. “Are you sure, Miss Sato?”

“I know what I heard,” Asami answered as she sat down in the vacant seat next to where Mako had been. He settled in next to her before she continued. “I overheard him talking to someone on the phone about something he was building for Amon. I wouldn’t have believed it, but he said Amon’s name frequently, like he’d spent quite a bit of time talking to him.”

“This is unfortunate,” Tenzin murmured as he stroked his beard. “Although…not wholly unexpected.”

Lin nodded in agreement.

“Wait, what?” Asami said, looking between them in disbelief. “Why would you even say that?!”

“Miss Sato, I’m sure you know about the circumstances of your mother’s death,” Lin started.

“She died in a robbery gone wrong. What’s that got to do with anything?”

Mako reached out patted her arm, reassuring her that she had at least one friend in the room.

“Asami, your mother was killed by the Agni Kais. It wasn’t just a robbery, it was a robbery by a powerful Triad,” Tenzin explained. “That’s why we’re not surprised that your father is an Equalist. He has quite the motivation to join.”

“Why would he lie to me about that?” she asked in disbelief.

“I’m sure he thought he was protecting you,” Lin explained. “Parents want to protect their children from the ugliness in the world, but it’s not as easy as you might think.”

“Anyway, I’m not changing my mind,” Tenzin said. “Especially now that we know that your father is an Equalist. If they knew that you were regularly meeting with us, they’d never trust you.”

“No. I want to do this. I want to help. I don’t approve of what the Equalists are doing,” Asami said with a scowl. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“We don’t doubt your abilities, Miss Sato,” Lin sighed. “But are you willing to make yourself an enemy of your father for this?”

“I’ll ask to join. I’ll tell them that you trust me, that I can work as a spy for them and then let them know what the task force is up to, all the while gathering information on Korra’s whereabouts.”

“That is the most asinine plan I’ve ever heard!” Tenzin sputtered. “I will not condone putting yourself in danger like that!”

“I agree with Tenzin. Miss Sato, that is far too dangerous for a civilian,” Lin chimed in.

“Councilman Tarrlok, you support me, don’t you?” Asami asked, turning pleading eyes on the man. He’d been sitting quietly by, watching the whole exchange with a neutral expression on his face.

“It’s not that easy, Miss Sato,” he replied, his voice low. “The last time I pressured someone into doing something, she was kidnapped. I…I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if it happened again. I can barely live with myself now.”

“You’re not pressuring me to do anything,” she answered in exasperation. “I’m volunteering for this. I’m willing to do this because I hate the thought of whatever they could be doing to her. No one deserves that, no one!”

Tarrlok glanced over at Tenzin and Lin, noting the similar, stony expression on their faces. Still…Asami was willing to do this on her own and they were currently backed up against a wall with no other leads. “I suppose I can see merit in your request,” he sighed. “Having an insider would help us tremendously.”

“Tarrlok,” Tenzin warned.

“Do you have a better idea?” Tarrlok asked, giving Tenzin a hard look. “I’m not fond of this plan either, but at the moment what other choices do we have?”

A tense silence fell over the room. Bolin fidgeted with his teacup while everyone else remained still as statues. Finally Tenzin let out a sigh. “If we tell you no, you’re still going to do it, aren’t you?”

Asami smirked. “Of course.”

“Well,” Tenzin said, stroking his beard, “it appears that we have no choice in the matter. If you’re going to do it anyway, you might as well have some back-up from us.”

“Are you sure it won’t be a problem?” Lin asked, a dubious expression her face. “It’s not like you can just walk up to us and talk to us about whatever you find out.”

“I’ve already thought about that,” Asami answered with a grin. “Like I said, I’ll tell them that I’m spying on you. So long as you feed me some information to give back to them, they’ll never suspect a thing. Besides, they know you won’t trust me completely, I’m still a non-bender. That said, I’ll still be expected to attend some of these meetings. It’s not practical for me to attend all of them, of course, but who’s to say that you can’t discuss other sensitive information when I’m not around?”

“Asami, are you sure you want to do this?” Mako asked, his brow furrowed. “You barely even know Korra.”

“I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together,” Asami answered, “but I feel like I know her because you’ve all talked about her so much. I have to do this. No one else can get as close to the Equalists as I can.”

“All right, it’s decided then,” Tenzin said. “Asami, infiltrate however you think is best. Confront your father, ask him what he thinks, whatever it takes, and then express your desire to help him. Play up the spy angle if you must. The only way this works is if you can get in.”

“Don’t worry, I have plan,” she assured him. “Everything will be just fine.”

Tarrlok couldn’t stop the soft snort from escaping. “Korra said the same thing.”

“I know what I’m doing, Councilman Tarrlok,” she retorted. “I know how to manipulate my dad.”

Mako cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Why do you think I learned how to drive on a racetrack?”

Tarrlok sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose. “If you think that this will work, then by all means, go ahead. But if at any time you think you might be in trouble, don’t hesitate to let us know.”

With a determined smile, Asami nodded. “Of course.”


End file.
